Hundreds turn up for vasectomy

By Renson Buluma

Hundreds of men turned up for a free vasectomy exercise in Busia town as the Government and other agencies stepped up campaigns for safe family planning methods.

The rare exercise was conducted by No Scalpel Vasectomy International (NSVI) at Tanaka hospital in Busia County on Monday.

The three-day exercise brought together men from Tanzania and Kenya for the operation presided over by NSVI President Ramon Suarez of Florida, USA.

Those interviewed gave praise to doctors who brought the free services to them adding that they decided to undergo the family planning method because they had enough children.

Simon Okwero, a father of six from Butula District told The Standard that his family was traumatised last year when his wife suffered severe complications during delivery of their last born.

“She lost a lot of blood after delivery and she survived by the grace of God. I have come for vasectomy because it is a safe method of family planning,” Mr Okwero explained.

Dr Ochieng, the head of vasectomy at Marie Stopes clinic in Kisumu said they were happy with the response.

“People have realised that vasectomy is not castration as some had earlier believed. It offers the best solution to birth control because besides not affecting man’s sexual ability, it has no side effects,” said Ochieng who also confirmed that he underwent the exercise five years ago.

Mr Suarez said Kenya was the third country they have visited after Haiti and the Philippines.

He said the group targets to bring down the high population growth in developing countries.