News / National
'15 women die daily giving birth'
02 Jul 2014 at 06:54hrs | Views
At least 15 women die daily while giving birth in the country, members of parliament claimed on Tuesday.
Debating a motion on the status of health delivery in the country introduced by Zanu-PF MP for Goromonzi North constituency, Beata Nyamupinga, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, MDC-T MP Thokozani Khupe, claimed that 15 women die daily while giving birth due to government's failure to provide free maternal health facilities.
"When a woman is giving birth, she will be doing a national service. But our government is detaining those who are failing to pay for user fees. I wonder whether we are sensitive to their plight," she said. "All of us here, we are what we are because of a woman, I have said this before that imagine if all women in the county were to decide not have babies for a day, what will happen to the future of this country? Instead of appreciating them, they are dying while doing a national service."
The motion, which was seconded by another MDC-T lawmaker, Evelyn Masaiti, seeks to force government to arrest the situation which they claimed was escalating and fast turning into a national crisis.
"We urge the ministry to stop forthwith the detention of women for non-payment of maternal fees which they are not supposed to pay for after all," read the motion moved by Nyamupinga.
In her debate, Nyamupinga said most women were being detained for failing to settle their medical bills, even though government has a policy to scrap off maternity fees.
"Most women are opting to give birth from their homes because they do not have money to pay. This should not be allowed to continue," Nyamupinga said.
The major causes of maternal mortality are bacterial infection, uterine rupture (scar from a previous caesarean section tearing during an attempt at birth), renal and cardiac failure as well as hyperemesis gravidarum (condition characterised by severe nausea, vomiting and weight loss during pregnancy).
Zimbabwe, with a population of about 13 million, 52% of whom are women, is facing the same fate as most of its African counterparts.
Debating a motion on the status of health delivery in the country introduced by Zanu-PF MP for Goromonzi North constituency, Beata Nyamupinga, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, MDC-T MP Thokozani Khupe, claimed that 15 women die daily while giving birth due to government's failure to provide free maternal health facilities.
"When a woman is giving birth, she will be doing a national service. But our government is detaining those who are failing to pay for user fees. I wonder whether we are sensitive to their plight," she said. "All of us here, we are what we are because of a woman, I have said this before that imagine if all women in the county were to decide not have babies for a day, what will happen to the future of this country? Instead of appreciating them, they are dying while doing a national service."
The motion, which was seconded by another MDC-T lawmaker, Evelyn Masaiti, seeks to force government to arrest the situation which they claimed was escalating and fast turning into a national crisis.
In her debate, Nyamupinga said most women were being detained for failing to settle their medical bills, even though government has a policy to scrap off maternity fees.
"Most women are opting to give birth from their homes because they do not have money to pay. This should not be allowed to continue," Nyamupinga said.
The major causes of maternal mortality are bacterial infection, uterine rupture (scar from a previous caesarean section tearing during an attempt at birth), renal and cardiac failure as well as hyperemesis gravidarum (condition characterised by severe nausea, vomiting and weight loss during pregnancy).
Zimbabwe, with a population of about 13 million, 52% of whom are women, is facing the same fate as most of its African counterparts.
Source - Zim Mail
