Mamitu Gashe

Mamitu Gashe is an Ethiopian surgeon who is a specialist in repairing obstetric fistula, and was named by the BBC in its 100 Women list of 2018.[2] She had decided to become an obstetrics surgeon after almost dying during childbirth at the age of 16[3][4] in 1962.[1]

Mamitu Gashe
Born1945/1946 (age 74–75)[1]
NationalityEthiopian
OccupationSurgeon
Medical career
InstitutionsAddis Ababa Fistula Hospital
Sub-specialtiesObstetric fistula

Suffering from obstetric fistula, Gashe was brought to the Princess Tsehai Hospital that offered free surgery for the condition.[5]

After receiving surgery, Gashe helped out by making beds and assisting Australian surgeon Catherine Hamlin and New Zealand surgeon Reginald Hamlin. She joined the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, founded by the Hamlins in 1974;[6] initially, Gashe would hand Hamlin the requested medical implements. After a couple of years she started suturing and then moved on to undertake surgery. Hamlin trained her in how to repair fistulas, and she is now regarded as one of the institution's leading fistula surgeons, often training new post-graduate doctors.[7][8][9] The work of Reginald and Catherine Hamlin, and Mamitu Gashe, was recognised by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) with the award of its Gold Medal.[10]

The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital often uses medical staff without formal qualifications.[11] In 2007, the President of the RCS called Gashe "the forerunner of the non-medically qualified practitioner."[12]

References
  1. "Mamitu: One of BBC's 100 Women in 2018". hamlin.org.au. Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation. 30 January 2019. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019.
  2. "BBC 100 Women 2018: Who is on the list?". 19 November 2018. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  3. "I trained to be a surgeon when I couldn't read or write". BBC. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  4. Wall, L. Lewis (2018). Tears for My Sisters: The Tragedy of Obstetric Fistula. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-1421424187.
  5. "Making a Contribution to the Fistula Hospital for Over 50 Years [opinion]". allafrica.com. 23 August 2014 – via NewsBank. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  6. Kristof, Nicholas (12 June 2005). "The Illiterate Surgeon". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  7. Barrowclough, Nikki (10 October 2014). "Catherine Hamlin: Ethiopia's miracle worker". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  8. Henry, J. A. (January 2015). "Essential Surgery: The Way Forward". World Journal of Surgery. 39 (4): 822–832. doi:10.1007/s00268-014-2937-9. PMID 25566979.
  9. Hancock, Brian (2005). First Steps in Vesico-Vaginal Fistula Repair (PDF). The Royal Society of Medicine Press Ltd. p. 58. ISBN 1-85315-611-6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 March 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  10. "Obituary: Reginald Hamlin". The Times. 14 August 1993. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  11. Kristof, Nicholas; WuDunn, Sheryl (2010). Half The Sky: How to Change the World. Hachette UK. ISBN 978-0748117758.
  12. Ribeiro, Bernard (2007). "Africa Revisited". The Bulletin of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 89 (2): 46–48. doi:10.1308/147363507X173959.
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