Catherine Hamlin has passed away.
She and her husband Reginald established a midwifery school and gynaecological ward in Addis Ababa in 1956, and ultimately a hospital specifically for dealing with obstetric fistulas. Eventually, Catherine Hamlin opened five further hospitals in rural areas in Ethiopia.
(Obstetric fistula is a condition in which a hole is torn during childbirth, between the vagina and the bladder or the vagina and the rectum. It is practically unknown in the Western World but still occurs in developing countries, particularly in rural areas where there is no access to emergency surgery.
It can be corrected by surgery but again in poor areas it often is left uncorrected. It often results in incontinence, leading to ostracisation from the family and lack of employment. )
From the 1970s til today, the Hamlins’ hospitals have performed surgery on 60000 women with obstetric fistulas, and trained hundreds of surgeons and other medical staff, and also worked to raise awareness about this problem. Their work has been supported by Hamlin Fistula, a non-profit organisation largely supported by Western donors.
Reginald died in 1993. Catherine Hamlin lived at her hospital cottage and performed day to day work at the hospital right up until her death in Addis Ababa yesterday.
Catherine Hamlin was one of my real heroes, a legend whose work transformed the lives of many desperate women. I encourage you to donate to Hamlin Fistula.