Hafsa Nasir, Zahid Iqbal.
Impact of Female Doctors on Changing Trends in the Etiology of Urogenital Fistulae (UGF).
Ann Pak Inst Med Sci Jan ;10(4):177-81.

Objectives: To see the impact of increasing number of female doctors on health care system in Pakistan by analyzing the local data of one disease i.e. urogenital fistula. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Urology, Allied Hospital Faisalabad from January 2007 till July 2010. Material and Methods: The data from admission register of Punjab Medical College Faisalabad was taken to analyze the relative increase in female doctors as compared to male doctors in last four decades. To see the impact of this relative increase in female doctors we have chosen one disease i.e. urogenital fistula. For that purpose all consecutive patients (70) of urogenital fistula who presented to the, were included. Thus this study will highlight, indirectly the positive impact of increase in female doctors. Results: Our study was based on the data of 70 patients. Out of all cases, 61% fistulae were developed after gynaecological surgery, comparable to those following obstructed labour that were only 39%. This may be correlated with the data collected regarding the relative admissions of male and female students to Punjab Medical College (PMC) Faisalabad. Previously there are 70% males and 30% females but now this ratio has been reversed i.e. 70% females and 30% males. In this paper, we have found a correlation in changing etiology of urogenital fistulas (i.e. from neglected obstetrical care to gynecological surgery) and better obstetrical care provided by increasing number of female doctors. Conclusion: Neglected and obstructed labour is no longer the main factor responsible for the development of female urogenital fistulas. It is an indirect evidence of improving obstetric care in our region which may surely be attributed to this numerical increase in female doctors.

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