News / Health
Free maternity regime begins in Zimbabwe
22 Apr 2013 at 07:43hrs | Views
Rural and district hospitals are now getting an allocation from the Health Transition Fund (HTF) to cover maternity costs as government steps up efforts to scrap maternity user fees.
Last year, government issued a circular to all state health institutions advising them to stop charging maternity user fees as from the 1st of July.
However, when the decision was taken, some hospitals had not been given adequate funds to cover maternity costs and some hospitals ended up defying the government directive.
The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare now has a budget of more than $430 million for the next five years and has so far collected $45 million through the HTF.
Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the ministry is now giving each rural and district hospital an allocation to cater for maternity costs.
The move to scrap maternity user fees will help reduce maternal deaths in the country because every pregnant woman will be able to go through the correct and safe process before delivery.
Most women were failing to access ante-natal care at the public health facilities because they could not afford the maternity fees, forcing them to give birth at home or visit the clinic just before delivery.
Women in rural areas were the worst hit by the exorbitant fees and most of them struggled to access life-saving maternal and child health care, resorting to giving birth at home.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), a woman's lifetime risk of dying of pregnancy complications stands at one in every 42 women.
With less than a thousand days before the millennium development goals (MDGs) target, the move to scrap maternity fees raises the country's chances of attaining MDG 5 of improving maternal health.
Last year, government issued a circular to all state health institutions advising them to stop charging maternity user fees as from the 1st of July.
However, when the decision was taken, some hospitals had not been given adequate funds to cover maternity costs and some hospitals ended up defying the government directive.
The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare now has a budget of more than $430 million for the next five years and has so far collected $45 million through the HTF.
Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the ministry is now giving each rural and district hospital an allocation to cater for maternity costs.
Most women were failing to access ante-natal care at the public health facilities because they could not afford the maternity fees, forcing them to give birth at home or visit the clinic just before delivery.
Women in rural areas were the worst hit by the exorbitant fees and most of them struggled to access life-saving maternal and child health care, resorting to giving birth at home.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), a woman's lifetime risk of dying of pregnancy complications stands at one in every 42 women.
With less than a thousand days before the millennium development goals (MDGs) target, the move to scrap maternity fees raises the country's chances of attaining MDG 5 of improving maternal health.
Source - zbc
