The government says pregnant women should receive maternity services free of charge at public health facilities, but lawmakers told Parliament that some women are still being charged for registration, delivery and caesarean sections.
The issue was raised in the National Assembly on Wednesday after an MP questioned the Ministry of Health and Child Care over women giving birth at home because they could not afford maternity fees.
Deputy Health Minister Sleiman Kwidini said government policy was that pregnant women should not pay to register their pregnancies.
“According to Government policy, an expecting mother is supposed to register her pregnancy with a health institution for free,” Kwidini said.
He acknowledged that some council-run health facilities were charging delivery fees and said the government was engaging local authorities to have them removed.
“We also have some council health facilities that charge what they call delivery fees. Right now, we are in the process of sitting down with the councils to make sure that they join hands with the Government and remove the fees where an expecting mother is supposed to pay a delivery fee,” Kwidini said.
Kwidini said the government had already partnered with Harare City Council to provide free maternity services at Mabvuku Polyclinic.
“Mothers who are delivering at Mabvuku Polyclinic are doing so free of charge because we have Government employees who are now working at Mabvuku Polyclinic and are assisting the people,” he said.
“Right now, the programme is in Stoneridge. We are going to cascade the programme to all polyclinics in all towns.”
But MPs challenged the government’s position, saying women were continuing to pay at some public health facilities.
Epworth Constituency MP Zivai Mhetu told Parliament that his research showed some rural health facilities were charging pregnant women US$10, while facilities in towns were charging US$20.
“According to the research which I have done Mr. Speaker, rural health facilities are charging $10 for expecting mothers. Then health facilities in towns are charging $20 and most of these health facilities are Government health facilities,” Mhetu said.
The deputy minister urged MPs to identify facilities charging the fees so the ministry could investigate them.
“According to Government policy, pregnant women should not be paying anything. So, if at all there is a particular case or particular hospitals or clinics that are charging, can you put this in writing so that the Ministry can now go and do their investigations and probably correct what is being done there because clearly it is against Government policy?” the temporary speaker said.
Another opposition MP, Lynette Karenyi-Kore, said charges extended beyond registration and could include significantly higher costs for procedures such as caesarean sections.
“If you go to a rural area and ask for a card for an expecting mother, and that card is charged at $10, it clearly constitutes a form of payment,” Karenyi said.
“If we claim that services for expecting mothers should be free, it means that a woman should be able to leave her home, go to the clinic and register without any payment.”
She added: “For instance, if women are expected to pay for a caesarean section which may cost $150, it creates a barrier. Ultimately, this situation can lead to tragic outcomes, such as mothers returning home without the necessary care, resulting in the loss of their children.”
The Health Ministry said eliminating maternity charges was intended to help reduce maternal and neonatal deaths and urged lawmakers to report facilities that continued charging pregnant women.
Kukurigo Updates©️