USAID, through EngenderHealth, a nongovernmental organisation, has supplied medical equipment worth Rwf71m ($120,000) to Rwanda Military Hospital to help treat fistula.The agency also contributed another Rwf 16 million to rehabilitate the fistula theatre at the Central University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHU/K). Among other causes, inadequate medical care among women during childbirth may lead to obstetric fistula; a severe medical condition in which a fistula (hole) develops between either the rectum or vagina."Fistula patients will have a separate or independent theatre at Rwanda Military Hospital, and it’s in line with this new development that we want it to be well equipped,” observed Dr. Jeanne d`Arc Kabagema, a senior medical associate with EngenderHealth.The organisation has partnered with government hospitals to treat women with fistula by supporting them financially. According to Kabagema, experts from various countries will in July conduct a workshop at CHU/K to empower local medics attend to fistula patients.The Director of Rwanda Military Hospital, Col Dr. Ben Karenzi, said the hospital receives about four to five fistula patients daily."Most of the patients range between 20 and 30 years of age and they are indeed from remote areas and experience challenges in getting access to medical services,” he said. Karenzi called on mothers to go for antenatal care during pregnancy, urging that it highly reduces the risk of contracting the disease. The Coordinator of Maternal and Child Health in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Fidele Ngabo, observed that a survey they conducted in collaboration with Kigali Health Institute (KHI) in 2000 revealed that women are reluctant in giving information about their state. He highlighted the programmes government has put in place to fight the condition."We are setting up more health centres closer to the population as well as buying more ambulances as this will provide easy transport for mothers to access medical services on time.” He pointed out that each district currently has five ambulances with more midwives undergoing training to boost the number earmarked to provide services in the newly set centres.Fistula causes infections, pain, bad smell, stigma and breakdown of families among others.The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that national strategies to address obstetric fistula be integrated into existing programmes on safe motherhood and improved maternal health.