A Medical Device Daily

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has unveiled a $70 million, five-year program, titled Fistula Care, to prevent and treat obstetric fistula in developing countries.

The program aims to increase emergency obstetrical care in hospitals by strengthening their capacity to provide surgical fistula repair, and it will work with community groups and individuals to increase understanding about obstetric fistula and steps to prevent this condition. Fistula Care will conduct research to strengthen fistula services and work toward the institutionalization of fistula prevention, repair and reintegration programs in developing countries.

Obstetric fistula is caused by prolonged, obstructed labor and can be prevented and treated through appropriate obstetric care, but women in the developing world lack access and funds for this care.

Left untreated, obstetric fistula can lead to a still-born baby and, for the mother, incontinence, frequent ulcers and infections, kidney disease, possible paralysis and even death. The ability to treat fistula is complicated by a shortage of skilled surgeons, a lack of supplies and lengthy hospital stays.

Obstetric fistula is of particular concern in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The Agency will be supporting Mercy Ships in Liberia in 2008 to provide medical care, train surgeons and build medical center capacity in Sierra Leone.

In addition, USAID supports regional activities for increased awareness, advocacy and prevention of both obstetric and traumatic gynecologic fistula in East Africa and West Africa. USAID’s maternal health programs also raise awareness on how to prevent obstetric fistula by using skilled birth attendants, and they encourage emergency obstetric care to treat prolonged and obstructed labor.

In contract news: ISS Solutions (Langhorne, Pennsylvania) said it has signed a three-year service agreement with Geisinger Health System (Danville, Pennsylvania).

ISS has provided clinical engineering services to Geisinger, which now consists of three hospitals and more than 40 centers, since the 1980s.

ISS Solutions continues to manage diagnostic imaging equipment service needs, including service for MRIs, CT scanners, linear accelerators, and neurovascular surgical equipment.”

Geisinger’s former chairman of radiology, Dominick Conca, MD, said, “ISS has done a terrific job of ensuring that our equipment is always in good working order. They work seamlessly with our healthcare team by performing all preventative maintenance activities during off-hours, so as not to impact patient scheduling.”

ISS also is contracted to purchase, install, and test clinical equipment for Geisinger Wyoming Valley’s new Critical Care Tower (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), a $60 million, 178,000 sq. ft. facility is scheduled to be open in the fall.

Geisinger Associate VP John Zelonis, the Critical Care Tower project lead, said, “We asked ISS to assist us because of their in-depth knowledge of Geisinger’s current clinical equipment, strategic partnerships with key equipment manufacturers, and their ability to identify both areas where critical items may have been overlooked and where costs can be reduced. During the budgeting process, ISS reduced the equipment budget — originally over $8 million — $1.186 million.”