Recovering from Surgery in Birao: Awa's Story

The landlocked Central African Republic (CAR) boasts of natural beauty and is home to some of the most vibrant wildlife in the world. However, years of unrest and armed conflict has taken its toll. In 2012, a previously unstable situation plummeted into civil war. Due to the security situation, many aid organisations have had to restrict their presence considerably or left the country entirely.

International Medical Corps is the main health care provider in three refugee camps in Haut Mbomou, Ouaka and Lobaye. We provide primary health care, clean water and sanitation projects as well as child support trainings, delivering primary health care, maternal and child health care and nutrition services through 12 medical centres and 20 mobile clinics in Vakaga and Haute-kotto districts.

Awa, a mother of four, was treated at an International Medical Corps health facility some time ago. Despite health being a fundamental right of every human being, the sad reality is that Awa is fortunate to have received surgery at all. Recovering from a recent hysterectomy, a complication following her fifth pregnancy, she has kindly offered to tell us a little bit more about herself and her experiences receiving medical care.  

 “I am married with four children (three boys and one girl). I am a farmer, and my father died more than seven years ago. I lost my fifth child during the last birth, which was obstructive birth that was complicated by uterine rupture.”

As we happen to get to know Awa during the wet season, she explains how the family moves depending on the rainfall.

“We are from Birao city, but during rainy season we move to the fields to farm. As it is the rainy season, we are living in the fields 8 km away from Birao, in the village called Chichi. “

At International Medical Corps, we are curious as to how Awa found out about our medical facilities. She was first told about our medical assistance a long time ago, when the organisation first provided medication and free health care through peripheral health facilities.

“Myself, my children, my uncles, my aunts, all of us received free treatment at the hospital. Our other family members that live in other villages outside of Birao receive free treatment in the health facilities there that are supported by International Medical Corps with financing from Bekou. International Medical Corps helped me from beginning of my surgery until I left the hospital.”

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Speaking to Awa, we try to understand more about what led to the surgery, she kindly shares her experiences about previous pregnancies and childbirth as well as receiving care from International Medical Corps.

“Before this incident (uterine rupture and hysterectomy), I was in good health. The incident occurred during a home birth, attended by one of the traditional birth attendants. During the birth, I was bleeding a lot, and my family transported me to the hospital to be treated by qualified personnel provided by International Medical Corps. This was to save my life.”

Just before the surgery, she arrives to Birao Hospital, an International Medical Corps facility, very early in the morning.

“There was a birth attendant present on guard, and she called the International Medical Corps doctor to come to the hospital. The doctor quickly arrived and, after examining me, mobilized his team. The quickly moved me to the operation bloc. The doctor explained the procedure, and I signed documents of consent. My husband also signed a consent document. I don’t remember much after this, but I know from my husband and my uncle, who were outside the operation bloc, that the surgery lasted 6 hours. During this time, the doctor had come out and explained to my husband the damage of the rupture, and explained that it was necessary to take out my entire uterus to save my life. This means that I will never have more children.”

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Awa continues to tell us about the days following the surgery and how her health improved:

“The next day, I was conscious, and I saw Dr Valentin, the International Medical Corps doctor, who came to evaluate me. He looked at the pockets of urine that was collected, and said that the surgery went well. The second day, he came again for more exams (he even asked me if I passed gas), and authorized me to start eating light food, to sit, and to walk a little bit. The third day I was already autonomous. I am proud to be health again. I know that nobody is responsible for what happened, it is the will of God, and I thank International Medical Corps, my husband, and my family for their moral and physical help. I thank Bekou, as I was told that this is the donor that allowed the surgery to happen.”

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Explaining why International Medical Corps' activities, and similar assistance, is so important, she says:

“We live in an isolated area, with no qualified medical staff. If it wasn’t for the doctor and nurses at International Medical Corps, I wouldn’t be in the world today with you, I would be dead and my children, who are still young, would be left without their mother and be very unhappy.”

Looking ahead, Awa tells us how receiving surgery has affected her abilities to care for herself and her family but also how she copes with the reality of never bearing children again.

“With this help, I am already back to working in the fields, I can do all my regular work as a mother of the family. Thanks to this intervention, I am alive, and my family continues to live its life as before. I know that I will never have more children; the doctor explained this to me and to my husband. He explained that this was the only way to save my life. This is alright, because I understand that this was the only way for my life to be saved. My health will allow me to take care of my other children – if the medical professionals were not here, my children would have been left without their mother. I recovered well, although I still have some pains, but I will keep coming back for follow up appointments at the hospital, as I was told by the medical team. I know of International Medical Corps since a long time ago, and they even helped my family in the past. All the services provided are for free, and I wanted to tell you that all sick people should always go to the hospital for treatment.”

Finally, Awa resolutely tells us about her aim to raise awareness about medical aid.   

“In the future I want to speak about International Medical Corps to my community and to tell what the organisation has done for us, to show to everybody the benefit of the modern medicine through the actions that International Medical Corps does in our community, and to sensitize my community using my won example so that people go to the hospital for effective treatment.”