{"id":46784,"date":"2025-04-08T16:04:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T16:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=46784"},"modified":"2025-04-08T16:04:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T16:04:14","slug":"medical-error-woman-cant-control-urine-after-childbirth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=46784","title":{"rendered":"Medical error: Woman can\u2019t control urine after childbirth"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>8 Minute, 10 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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A botched surgery during childbirth has left a 34-year-old mother of four in Ashaiman incontinent and reliant on diapers, forcing her to grapple with a debilitating condition that erodes her dignity and threatens her livelihood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t urinate on my own. It flows whether I am standing or sitting, and I don\u2019t feel it,\u201d the woman, who wants to be known as Ruth for fear of stigmatization, told\u00a0The Fourth Estate.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cI always have to use diapers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Urine drips on Ruth\u2019s Ankle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ruth\u2019s ordeal began after the birth of her fourth child at the Ashaiman Polyclinic. Having delivered her first three children naturally, she was determined to do the same with the fourth. But plans changed when complications arose, and the doctor decided on a Caesarean Section (CS). According to Ruth, the medical team attributed the need for the CS to the baby\u2019s weight.<\/p>\n

However, The Fourth Estate<\/em> has not been able to establish the birth weight of Ruth\u2019s baby as she claims she lost her antenatal record book in tense, bureaucratic exchanges with the polyclinic. Before the CS, she was fitted with a urinary catheter (a standard for surgical procedures), but it never drained her urine as intended. Rather than flowing through the catheter, her urine leaked onto her body. For four days in the hospital, the catheter remained in place, yet the problem persisted. Discharged with the same faulty setup, Ruth quickly realized something had gone wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the operation, I experienced issues with my urethra,\u201d she recounts. \u201cI don\u2019t feel the urge to urinate; it just happens. I only notice when it is flowing on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lost Dignity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Conversations she overheard during postnatal care suggested she might have suffered bladder or urethral damage. An eventual diagnosis revealed vesicovaginal fistula, an abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina that causes uncontrollable urine leakage.<\/p>\n

Fistula often results from difficult childbirth, certain surgical complications, or radiotherapy. For Ruth, the cause seems linked to her CS. She asked to have the catheter removed so she could at least manage with diapers, but the leakage continued, leaving her with unrelenting embarrassment. She often avoids public spaces: the strong odour during bus rides triggers curious stares, and even in church, she fears soiling herself if she sits for a few minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not able to go to church,\u201d she said. \u201cI will soil myself if I sit right now, so I always stand. At the market, if I sit, by the time I get home, I\u2019m completely soaked in urine. I feel shy and use unapproved routes to avoid people.\u201d<\/p>\n

To compound her misery, she also struggles with defecation. Health professionals describe it as obstructed defecation or dysphasia, meaning she cannot push or pass stool unless she has diarrhea.<\/p>\n

Beyond her physical agony, Ruth\u2019s incontinence has financial implications. She is the breadwinner for her family, earning GHS600 monthly by selling beef at the Ashaiman Market. Her husband, who once operated a commercial motorbike business, is out of business after he sold his motorbike to cover Ruth\u2019s early medical bills.<\/p>\n

Ashaiman Polyclinic in the Greater Accra Region<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With four children to feed, she can barely afford her own diapers and medication. On some days, she relies on old clothes as makeshift pads because she has no money for proper diapers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband\u2019s job has been affected. He\u2019s at home, and I\u2019m the only one going out, trying to find something for us to eat. It has been really difficult,\u201d she says. \u201cSometimes, I spend more than GHS200 a day on medications. I earn so little, but it all goes toward drugs. Yet my situation is the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruth believes negligence at the Ashaiman Polyclinic caused her condition and blames one Dr Osei T. Owusu, the attending doctor at the time she delivered her last child. She says multiple follow-ups at the facility yielded no solution beyond a referral to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital. Expecting some accountability from the polyclinic, she felt abandoned when she was simply told her problem required more specialized care elsewhere.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

At the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Ruth was told she needed surgery to correct the fistula, but she had to wait three months for her caesarean wounds to heal. Financial constraints prevented her from returning, leaving her to endure the constant leakage. \u201cThey mentioned a figure that could buy a car,\u201d she recalls, unable to provide the precise cost but certain it was far beyond her means.<\/p>\n

Her husband, Lawson, feels equally helpless. He was once an amateur goalkeeper and an \u2018okada\u2019 rider, but the income from that job was spent covering Ruth\u2019s mounting medical expenses. Their intimate life has also suffered as a result of Ruth\u2019s condition, he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are unable to have sex,\u201d he lamented. \u201cWe haven\u2019t done anything since our last child was born because of her problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawson Okutu, Ruth\u2019s husband worried about her situation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMy wife wasn\u2019t like this before we went to the hospital,\u201d Lawson laments. \u201cBut after the CS, this is our situation. The operation wasn\u2019t done well. They made a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

In pursuit of justice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Despite the distress, Ruth and Lawson continue to pursue justice. They want the Ashaiman Polyclinic to acknowledge any wrongdoing, help treat and resolve her condition, and compensate them for the hardship they have endured. She also appeals for public support, hoping her story may move people to assist with medical costs or help hold the polyclinic accountable.<\/p>\n

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), about 500,000 women and girls worldwide live with fistula.<\/p>\n

Annual Global statistics on Fistula \u2013 Source: UNFPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Ghana alone, 1,300 new cases are reported each year. Often, it stems from prolonged childbirth, inadequate maternal care, and lack of skilled midwifery or surgical care.<\/p>\n

Annual Fistula cases in Ghana \u2013 Source UNFPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Medical experts interviewed by\u00a0The Fourth Estate<\/em>\u00a0said the Ashaiman Polyclinic should have detected possible complications during routine antenatal checks, especially if the baby\u2019s weight was a concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is through antenatal clinic visits that we regularly monitor the weight of the baby,\u201d Dr. Raymond Papenfuss Owusu-Ansah, medical doctor and lawyer, explains.<\/p>\n

If a baby is large (often four kilograms or more) a CS is typically recommended, with proper counselling about risks.<\/p>\n

Medical Doctor and Lawyer, Dr. Raymond Papenfuss Owusu-Ansah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dr. Owusu-Ansah emphasizes that the hospital\u2019s duty of care does not end at delivery. The 40-day postpartum period is critical in identifying complications and if problems arise, they must be promptly investigated and corrected.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor someone in such a situation without the money to treat it, the most favourable route is for the institution involved to cover the cost,\u201d according to Dr Owusu-Ansah.<\/p>\n

Yet Ruth, lacking finances, remains untreated. Dr. Owusu-Ansah acknowledges that while legal redress might be an option, it wouldn\u2019t solve the immediate problem: \u201cHumanity must come into play,\u201d he says, urging a more compassionate approach rather than a protracted court battle.<\/p>\n

The Head of the Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr. Frederickson Pobee, indicates that fistula can sometimes occur despite precautions. But there\u2019s a clear path when they do: \u201cWhen they report, the Medical and Dental Council sets up an investigative committee to go into it. They visit the facility, take records, and if someone was negligent, sanctions follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Ruth\u2019s case, however, those steps appear not to have been taken. She claims the polyclinic brushed her off with referrals. She expected an in-depth review of what went wrong during delivery, insisting that even though she dutifully attended antenatal appointments, no red flags about the baby\u2019s size were raised until it was too late.<\/p>\n

Head of the Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr. Frederickson Pobee, said health professionals must take patients\u2019 health very seriously<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Calls and letters to the Ashaiman Polyclinic for comment yielded no responses.\u00a0The Fourth Estate<\/em>\u00a0first reached out on May 6, 2024, but was directed to the Ashaiman District Health Directorate, then to the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate, and eventually to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS). Repeated follow-ups over months did not yield authorization to interview the polyclinic directly.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Ruth\u2019s life remains in limbo. She stands at church to avoid embarrassment, hides from curious stares, and wraps herself in layers of cloth, hoping to mask the constant flow of urine. Even selling beef, a job that once kept food on her family\u2019s table, feels like a burden. Earnings from her meager sales are drained by medical bills and diapers, and her baby\u2019s needs compete with her own daily struggles.<\/p>\n

Urine drips on Ruth\u2019s thigh as she plead for support to correct her condition<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The emotional toll is palpable. Her husband, once confident in providing for his family, is burdened with guilt and helplessness, watching his wife\u2019s health deteriorate. The closeness they shared is replaced by frustration and worry. Still, they cling to the hope that, somehow, someone will intervene: either the hospital or compassionate donors who might ease the financial strain.<\/p>\n

A cry for help<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For Ruth, the greatest desire is to be whole again.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease help me because my situation is terrible and disgraceful,\u201d she pleads. \u201cPlease help me get out of this situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the Ashaiman Polyclinic remains silent, medical professionals say her case underscores the urgent need for better oversight, thorough postpartum monitoring, and accessible corrective surgery for women who suffer injuries during childbirth. Until these interventions materialize, Ruth\u2019s future (and that of her young family) hangs in the balance, with every new day bringing the same old heartbreak of incontinence, shame, and desperation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A botched surgery during childbirth has left a 34-year-old mother of four in Ashaiman incontinent and reliant on diapers, forcing her to grapple with a debilitating condition that erodes her… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46784\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}