By Beverly Bizeki
Once every three months, Dr. Rumbidzai Mbudzi more than 440 kilometers from Bulawayo to Bikita District in Masvingo with her mission which she says is not just medical but deeply personal.
She fights to restore the maternal dignity of women whose lives have been upended by obstetric fistula, a devastating childbirth injury that leaves them incontinent and socially not accepted.
At 39, Dr. Mbudzi is an obstetrician who volunteers at Mashoko Mission Hospital, where she helps repair obstetric fistulas, offering hope to women who have hidden in shame for years, sometimes decades.
“I was invited for this programme by people from the ministry of health who wanted people to come and train on treating fistulas so I decided to take up the offer as I also wanted to become a gynecologist,” she said.
Her first visit to Mashoko in 2023 was a turning point. What was meant to be a training opportunity turned into a life-altering commitment after hearing the story of a woman who had lived with a fistula for 42 years.
“When I came here I was quite shocked, I did not know the gravity of this situation, I knew that it existed but I had no idea about the numbers of women who were affected. The story that was most moving for me was that of a woman who had lived with the fistula for 42 years. She got pregnant in 1980, had a difficulty during the delivery and the baby died while she also obtained a fistula.
“She spent 42 years living with this condition, never remarried and never had another child or relationship. If you listen to the women like we saw here their stories are similar. That was when I decided to be a part of this, I wanted to make an impact to give back in some way because after the women get repaired, their faces change, their smiles change, they start making plans, things that they have not done in years. For me it’s an emotional thing, I got attached to the programme and now I cannot stop participating,” said Dr Mbudzi.
Driven by compassion and a desire to build local capacity, Dr. Mbudzi is now working toward certification in fistula repair to support both local efforts and international specialists who visit Zimbabwe for the programme.
“When I got qualified as an obstetrician and gynecologist last year and then decided to further my training in fistula repairs to get certified to be better equipped to help our women from within, as the ministry and its partners bring in fistula surgeons from outside the country for this programme,” she said.
Each quarter, she spends a week at the mission hospital, assisting in surgeries and learning from experienced mentors.
“For each quarter I come here for a week and this I have been doing since 2023. During that week we usually have 25 to 30 people with different cases, some will be leaking faeces while others are leaking urine,” she said.
Despite the vital work being done, Dr. Mbudzi points to a critical barrier in the treatment of fistulas, lack of awareness. Many women endure the condition for years, unaware that treatment is available.
“Our partners have done a very good job in helping patients but the only worry now is getting the word out there for prevention (of the condition) and for women to know because in every camp that we do, women will come and say they did not know about this,” she said.
Her journey is not without personal sacrifice. The trip from Bulawayo to Bikita is long and exhausting, especially considering the poor state of the roads.
“For myself the only challenge is the journey to Mashoko, I come by bus from Bulawayo. I board a bus in the morning and I get to Masvingo around 8 or 9 am. I then have to wait for the only bus that comes here which leaves the city at around 12pm and the journey which is about 160km, takes about six hours because the road is so bad.
“If the community could get help in fixing the roads it will not only help us the health workers coming here for the programme but also the patients because these are people who are leaking urine or faeces and they have to use that road which causes much discomfort. That for me is the only challenge because once you get to the hospital everything is perfect, I feel at home,” said Dr. Mbudzi.