Local Physical Therapist Leads Childbirth Injury Care Training In Ethiopia
Christina Lee, a pelvic floor physical therapist from Chatham, Massachusetts, provided hands-on training to medical staff at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia this past February. Lee and two co-instructors trained nurses, midwives, and physical therapists to treat obstetric fistula, a severe childbirth injury, according to Lee.
Obstetric fistula is an opening between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum, Lee said. Patients at the facility often experience complete incontinence, leaving some to stand in puddles of their own urine, according to Lee’s observations in the hospital courtyard.
Lee traveled from Boston on Feb. 6 to implement the final stage of a training program. She worked alongside co-instructors Joshua Olinga, a Ugandan physical therapist, and Tracy Spitznagle, a professor of physical therapy at Washington University in St. Louis, according to Lee.
How was the medical training conducted?
The hands-on training followed six months of online lectures. Lee and her co-instructors taught the background science and anatomy virtually before arriving in Ethiopia to demonstrate practical application, according to Lee.
Communication presented a significant hurdle due to Ethiopia’s linguistic diversity, with possibly more than 100 languages spoken in the country. Lee said that speaking with some patients required a four-way translation process involving the trainee, a doctor or therapist, and the patient.
What is the significance of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital?
The facility is a worldwide leader in treating childbirth injuries. It serves as a training program for nurses, physical therapists, and urogynecology surgery fellows, according to Lee.
Lee’s involvement stems from her time in the Peace Corps in Burkina Faso in 2014. After a fifth-grade student of hers became pregnant, Lee pursued a career in pelvic floor physical therapy and eventually joined the board of the Worldwide Fistula Fund, which partners with the hospital, according to Lee.
What were the results of the training?
Students reported that the training transformed their professional practice. One student stated that the instructors challenged them in a way that differed from previous European therapists, noting, “No one ever gave me permission to use my brain before,” according to Lee.
Lee said the goal of the program was to ensure the medical staff felt empowered. The trip concluded with a ceremony where the facility’s medical director delivered a speech and students received certificates, according to Lee.
Future efforts could involve expanding these training modules to other regions. Based on the current partnership between the Worldwide Fistula Fund and the hospital, further collaborations may be likely to address the remaining volume of untreated injuries, according to Lee’s comments on the amount of work still needing to be done.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is obstetric fistula?
It is a childbirth injury that creates an opening between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum, according to Christina Lee.
Who founded the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital?
Australian surgeons Catherine and Reginald Hamlin founded the hospital in 1974, according to the provided text.
What challenges did the instructors face during training?
Instructors dealt with emotional challenges regarding the severity of patient struggles and practical difficulties with language, which sometimes required four-way translations to communicate with patients, according to Lee.
How can specialized medical training programs better empower local healthcare workers in developing nations?