My response to Dr. Aruna Uprety's Email (below):
Dear All,
I would like to add on to Dr. Aruna points.
We shouldn't make women health problems as an earning source for our health professionals (doctors, nurses, AHWs, HAs, etc). We shouldn't treat those poor and rural suffering women as a commodity. They are human beings like everyone of us. Therefore, we've to respect their rights, if we can't respect their rights then at least the client's rights. Everyone of us know that client's rights or women's rights are human rights. Why we health professionals don't understand this? Why we are coming inhumane? Just because they are poor and uneducated for what? Why we are playing in their lives? Why don't we think strategically and seriously in saving their lives with dignity and respect? Instead of operating thyroid gland why are we, health professionals are removing woman's uterus? Why in the name of Compreshensive Abortion Care we are allowing to kill and murder so many unborn girl child through sex-selective abortion? Why can't we stop this?
As Professor Mahmoud Fathalla from Federation of International Gynaecologist and Obstetrician said "Women are not dying because of diseases we cannot treat... they are dying because societies have yet to make the decision that their lives are worth saving" is very true in the context of Nepal.
Why we health professionals don't understand that preventing maternal death and illness is an issue of social justice and women's human rights? Why don't we understand that making motherhood safer requires women's human rights to be guaranteed and respected? These include their rights to good quality services and information during and after pregnancy and childbirth; their right to make their own decisions about their health freely, without coercion or violence, and with full information; and the removal of barriers legal, political, and health that contribute to maternal mortality.
Governments have an obligation to address the causes of poor maternal health through their political, health and legal systems. International treaties and national constitutions that have been signed by the govenrment address basic human rights must be applied to safe motherhood issues in order to guarantee all women the right to make free and informed decisions about their health, and access to quality services before, during, and after pregnancy and childbirth, and their entire reproductive life.
As William Pen said “Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it”.
We have to stop playing professionals' politics in the lives of women and newborn's health.
Best regards
Laxmi Tamang
From: aruna uprety <arunauprety@yahoo.ca>
To: Dr Angel NHRC <ang2el@gmail.com>; Dr Geetha Rana <geetharana@gmail.com>; Laxmi Tamang <laxtshering@yahoo.com>; samita <samita@info.com.np>
Cc: Kiran Bajracharya <kiran_baj54@yahoo.com>; "bhattarai.dpk@gmail.com" <bhattarai.dpk@gmail.com>; Uttam Lama Kantipur Publication <bhlon22@gmail.com>; Dr Naresh Pratap KC <npkc@hotmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, 3 September 2011 12:46 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Uterine Prolapse surgery camp.Dr. Aruna uprety
| Dear all it is very important issue and would be very happy to work on this issue. On PU surgery in the district level hospitals we have found many challenges, Quality is compramised, 50 opeattion per day had been conducted in Sirha district Hospital and other local private hospital and very poor quality of post overate care had been provided for women. I am writing on this issue and had raised this issue many time. How can a doctor perform 25 operations a day ? How come women and families are not given any counselling? In Siraha Hospital Chief of the hospital stated " six months ago one organization came to provide operation for women with PU. They conducted 550 operations in ten days time. After they left 100 cases of complications came to our hospital and i will never allow them to come again here ,.The government also should think that opearttions in this way will not good for women. It has become a business and we are worried about this. In Kathamndu INGOs provide money but Monitoring and evaluation of those program has not been done." We need to stop " targeted approach for prolapsed cases. Dr. Aruna urepty |
well,surgery is not the ultimate solution of pelvic organ prolapse.Actually,in the context of Nepal ,the way women do their household activities itself is a predisposing factor for prolapse.For example lifting of heavy weight. Nepalese women in rural community can not give up lifting but will certainly accept the modification on lifting so that there is minimal to no stress on the pelvic floor.So ,we need to focus on the pelvic floor work place ergonomy if we really want to eradicate the prolapse.
ReplyDeleteDon't know why government, NGOs are focusing on curative rather than preventive of UP?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. Women health problems are associated with the gender-based power politics at the household and societal levels, and professional politics at the government and NGOs/INGOs levels to make money and attract donors. Everyone knows that prevention is better than cure but still government and donors focus go on curative services rather than prevention.
ReplyDelete