A three-day intensive workshop was recently organized at the Baptist Hospital Mutengene to strengthen the capacity of healthcare professionals in improving access to sexual and reproductive health services—particularly for women affected by obstetric fistula.

The training brought together a multidisciplinary team including nurses, scrub nurses, doctors, wound care specialists, physiotherapists, and social workers, all deeply involved in the treatment and rehabilitation of obstetric fistula patients. As one of the designated treatment centers under the ongoing UNFPA/ECHO-funded initiative, the Baptist Hospital Mutengene continues to play a pivotal role in the holistic management of obstetric fistula across Cameroon.

The workshop combined one day of theoretical sessions with two days of hands-on clinical practice in the hospital’s theatre and wards, where real-time fistula repair procedures were ongoing. This provided participants with invaluable exposure to practical case management under expert supervision.

Key sessions were facilitated by leading specialists, including:

• Dr. Ngock George, Pediatric and Fistula Surgeon, on Understanding, Diagnosing, and Classifying Fistulas;
• Mrs. Kenchi Hope, SRH Focal Person for CBC Health Services, on The Role of Communities in Facilitating Treatment for Women with Fistula;
• Mrs. Mboini Loveline, Wound Care Supervisor for CBC Health Services, on Wound Management in Obstetric Fistula; and
• Mr. Alfred C. Nkwenti, Physiotherapist from Kumba Baptist Hospital, on Rehabilitation Care for Women Post-Fistula Repair.

This training forms part of the broader project, “Delivering Lifesaving Integrated and Holistic Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Services to Women and Girls in Hard-to-Reach, Conflict-Affected Areas of the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon,” implemented by CBC Health Services with support from UNFPA and ECHO.

Representing the Director of Health Services, Mr. Tosam Ephraim, Hospital Administrator of Baptist Hospital Mutengene, commended the participants for their dedication and urged them to translate the newly acquired skills into enhanced patient care. He emphasized that by strengthening their professional capacity, healthcare workers not only restore women’s health but also their dignity and hope.

Participants expressed deep satisfaction with the training, noting that it broadened their understanding of early fistula identification, improved treatment protocols, and emphasized the importance of community engagement in encouraging women to seek care promptly.

The workshop’s success underscores CBC Health Services’ unwavering commitment to ending obstetric fistula in Cameroon and ensuring that no woman suffers in silence due to preventable reproductive health conditions. With sustained collaboration and support from partners like UNFPA and ECHO, more women will have access to timely, life-changing surgical repairs and holistic post-operative care.