Sister Sara, pictured above, has an unwavering commitment to helping impoverished women in Ethiopia’s Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region.
As the Head Nurse at Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s Yirgalem Regional Fistula Hospital, she cares for hundreds of women each year who have experienced devastating childbirth injuries. Many of these women live hundreds of kilometres from Yirgalem, in remote rural communities where health care services are extremely limited, or non-existent.
Often when they reach Yirgalem they have been suffering for a long time, and she knows that in many cases, the surgical treatment they will receive from the hospital is going to be transformative and give them their lives back.
“The best part of my job is seeing patients cured’’
Sister Sara
Sara has worked at Yirgalem for 12 years and is responsible for the nursing team’s work caring for patients in the ward and in the surgical theatre. Surgeries for childbirth injuries take place at Yirgalem three days a week and Sara leads the team in preparing patients for surgery physically and emotionally and in ensuring everything is set up in the operating theatre ready for surgery on the day.
She works closely with Hamlin’s specialist gynaecological surgeon to ensure the best possible outcome for patients, and the results of this can be seen in Yirgalem Hospital’s fistula closure rate of 90%.
Sara told us that given the challenges many Government hospitals face in Ethiopia in securing drugs, equipment and resources, they are thankful that at Yirgalem Regional Fistula Hospital the support of Hamlin’s donors means they are well-stocked with all the resources needed for surgery and are able to give patients the treatment they need.
‘’We are grateful for the supporters of Hamlin Fistula UK and their donations to support our work here at Yirgalem Regional Fistula Hospital. I want to say a big thank you and we hope you will continue your vital support’’.
Sister Sara
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