Greetings to you from Aira.
Thank you very much for your email. I am sorry for being silent for so long. I was out in field for mobilization, screening and sending women with gynecological complication of childbirth to Aira. In the field/in rural areas, there was/is no access to internet connection at all. Whenever, I was back to my home/Office, there was no either internet connection or Dembi Dollo was in blackout.
I am very happy that STTP 2023 is in an excellent progress. So far, more than 175 and 15 had been treated (including those treated in excess under STTP 2022 MoU) against UVP and obstetric fistula cases respectively and discharged from Aira General Hospital.
Even though I tried my best to get treated 25 women with obstetric fistula cases until mid of June, I do not think that my plan will be materialized due high security tension in some of the districts where fistula patients were screened and ready to be transported for treatment. By the way, the security condition has become very serious even in the administrative centers of all district/zones let alone in the rural areas. In the midst of worst security condition, STTP 2023 is being implemented more or less successfully. It is really a miracle to implement the program in areas where no one knows when and where he/she gets shot whenever he /she goes out for any affairs.
So far, STTP 2023 has been implemented in Kellem Wollega and West Wollega Zones because project agreement has not been signed among Oromia National Regional State relevant Bureaus and EECMY-DASSC Head Office yet. It is underway and I hope it will be finalized in the coming week. In the two zones where the project is being implemented, we are not new to each other the relevant Zonal Offices permitted us to implement the project internally. On the other hand, we are not familiar to East Wollega and Horo Guduru Wollega Zones relevant bureaus so that we were told to produce signed project agreement document before commencing the implementation of the project in the zones. I understand them that it entails a risk to implement the project without a signed agreement in the midst of worst security tension.
Hereafter, I will be in East Wollega and Horo Guduru Wollega Zones most of the time to give chances to women in the zones for treatment if the security condition allows me to do so. The security condition is worse in these two zones than Kellem Wollega and West Wollega Zones.
I am hoping that STTP 2023 would be completed before October this year and by the time STTP Team returns to Addis in October, I will come up with a project proposal of STTP 2024.
I will be sending you an interim report in coming weeks. I went to Aira to discuss on sending the report, but Dr. Tesgera was invited to attend an urgent meeting out of Aira. As a result, I will be heading to Dembi Dollo tomorrow and then travel back to Aira when Dr. Tesgera comes back to Aira next week.
Finally, I kindly request you to discuss with fistula foundation for the extension of submission of obstetric fistula treated women’s report by at least a month as a result of security problem to transport screened women to Aira for treatment. In a case the extension is impossible, it would be possible to send a report for at least fifteen women treated so far. Please let me know your suggestion.
Last but not least, please get updated on status quo of rehabilitation project (pilot phase) from EECMY-DASSC-WWBS-BO Management Team members or the Branch Office Manager as soon as possible. as I am not in position to give you a report on it as I have to abide with the structure of EECMY-DASSC.
Thank you very much for your ongoing commitment to STTP.
Sincerely yours,
Dugasa
