Meet our Clinical Team: Dr Melaku Abriha

Dr Melaku Abriha – Medical Director and Fistula Surgeon at Hamlin’s Mekele Fistula Hospital

Dr Melaku is the Medical Director at Hamlin’s regional Mekele Fistula Hospital, a busy hospital for obstetric fistula repair in the north of Ethiopia.

He is a senior obstetrician-gynaecologist and urogynaecologist and has been a valued member of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s Clinical Team for almost 20 years.

Dr Melaku first met Dr Catherine Hamlin in 2001 while he was undertaking his internship at Hamlin’s Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital.

“She [Catherine] has been a role model for my career. She and her late husband, Dr Reg were champions for holistic fistula treatment, not only for Ethiopia but for the rest of the world as well. They inspired me.”

Dr Melaku Abriha

Hamlin’s Mekele Fistula Hospital opened in 2006 and is strategically located to serve populations from Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions.

Mekele is the capital of the Tigray region – a region ravaged by the civil war that ended in November 2022 and which resulted in the death of approximately 600,000 civilians.

During this time, with the threat of war surrounding them, Hamlin’s Mekele Fistula Hospital was forced to close or provide care at a severely reduced rate.

Though the war is now over, Hamlin’s Mekele Fistula Hospital faces many challenges in its endeavour to return to its pre-war level of operation. These challenges include expired medication, equipment which has fallen into disrepair or is outdated and, critically, an increase in the backlog of women requiring surgery.

Thanks to the amazing generosity of our supporters, Hamlin’s hospital in Mekele will soon be able to open a second operating room, providing surgery to double the number of women.

Dr Melaku chose to work at Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia because:

“You serve your patients with worry [concern] and apply every available solution to cure them. We help the poorest of poor on the planet. We are making a difference”

Dr Melaku Abriha

Hamlin’s Clinical Team at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital and five regional obstetric fistula hospitals across Ethiopia is dedicated to providing best-practice care and continuing Catherine’s vision of eradicating fistula. Forever.

Learn more about Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s Clinical Team here.