“We don’t just treat the hole in the bladder, we treat the whole patient with love and tender care, literacy and numeracy classes, a brand-new dress and money to travel home.”
– Dr Catherine Hamlin
What is the Hamlin Model of Care?
The impact of obstetric fistula goes much deeper than physical injuries. It often also carries the grief of losing a child and the trauma of isolation and shame.
For more than 60 years, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia has provided an all-encompassing approach to treating and caring for obstetric fistula patients – the ‘Hamlin Model of Care’. It is a proven method to ensure that former fistula patients have every opportunity to thrive post-surgery. The Hamlin Model of Care for treatment of obstetric fistula injuries considers both the physical impact and psychological trauma of childbirth injuries including Obstetric fistula.
Developed by Dr Catherine Hamlin, the Hamlin Model of Care is grounded in a fundamental respect for the patient and a commitment to provide complete and compassionate care. This model has been widely replicated around the world.
The Hamlin Model of Care Includes
Patient Identification
Many women living with obstetric fistula in Ethiopia don’t know that help is available. Hamlin’s ambitious Patient Identification Outreach Program is focused on finding these women through media campaigns and going door-to-door, educating the community and linking them to life-changing treatment at one of six Hamlin hospitals.
Surgical Repair
A single, two-hour operation can often repair a fistula injury and change a woman’s life. However, many women who have suffered for years may require more complex surgery and rehabilitation due to complications like scar tissue, long-term infection and renal damage. The Hamlin Clinical Team’s approach and surgical technique is considered best-practice fistula treatment globally.
Many women living with obstetric fistula in Ethiopia don’t know that help is available. Hamlin’s ambitious Patient Identification Outreach Program is focused on finding these women through media campaigns and going door-to-door, educating the community and linking them to life-changing treatment at one of six Hamlin hospitals.
Clothing and a Hamlin blanket
A woman’s healing starts as soon as she arrives at a Hamlin hospital. She receives a colorful hand-knitted blanket, symbolizing her life being woven back together. She is also given a nightgown and slippers to wear during her stay. On the day she leaves, she is presented with a new dress to celebrate her return home.
Nutrition
Good nutrition is an essential part of healing. Many women with fistula are malnourished as they spend their lives hidden and in isolation. Patients at Hamlin hospitals receive healthy, nutritious meals during their stay to build up their strength and encourage faster recovery.
Physiotherapy
An arduous labour can cause nerve damage, while long periods of immobility can result in muscle contractures – conditions most women with fistula injuries experience. All Hamlin patients receive a tailored physiotherapy program before and after fistula-repair surgery to make sure they regain full function in their muscles.
Women’s Empowerment Program
Hamlin’s Women’s Empowerment Program gives fistula patients in need of income support vital vocational skills at Desta Mender (Hamlin’s Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centre). This groundbreaking initiative trains over 200 women every year, offering a range of opportunities, including leadership and communications training, as well as small-business guidance. These life-changing skills give women choices and independence – empowering their communities and those around them. Learn more here.
Reintegration support
Many women lose everything due to the devastating impact of their fistula injuries, and they are also often ostracised from their communities. Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia supports women with reintegration into their communities and independent living by helping them find sustainable employment or start their own businesses. This support is critical in helping women to live with dignity.
Vocational training
The Hamlin Model of Care places great emphasis on empowering women to take control of their lives. During their stay at a Hamlin hospital, women can develop their numeracy and literacy skills and receive vocational and life skills training for a period of three months, empowering them to return to their community with confidence and the ability to earn an income.
Counselling
The emotional trauma of fistula can often be more scarring than the physical injury. Healing the psychological scars and building confidence is a key part of rehabilitation. Women receive compassionate support to help them regain their sense of self, often after living in shame and isolation for years.
