News / Local
ZimRights complains over detaining of women at a Harare hospital
02 Mar 2016 at 00:52hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has complained of an incident where a private maternity hospital in Harare detained a woman and a four-day-old baby delivered through an emergency cesarean.
The woman was released several hours later after the intervention of ZimRights.
"The patient was failing to immediately settle in cash a $300 shortfall on her health cover. The hospital on the western side of Harare turned down her initial offer for a payment plan, leading to an unfortunate impasse that violated the new mother's constitutional right to liberty," ZimRights said.
Section 49 of the Constitution outlaws the imprisonment of citizens merely on the grounds of inability to fulfil contractual obligations.
According to ZimRights, the woman, only identified as Nonsikelelo, was supposed to give birth at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo next month where she was booked. But she had to be ferried to Harare due to complications, where she had to undergo an immediate caesarean operation after developing high blood pressure which threatened her life.
The woman was released several hours later after the intervention of ZimRights.
"The patient was failing to immediately settle in cash a $300 shortfall on her health cover. The hospital on the western side of Harare turned down her initial offer for a payment plan, leading to an unfortunate impasse that violated the new mother's constitutional right to liberty," ZimRights said.
Section 49 of the Constitution outlaws the imprisonment of citizens merely on the grounds of inability to fulfil contractual obligations.
According to ZimRights, the woman, only identified as Nonsikelelo, was supposed to give birth at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo next month where she was booked. But she had to be ferried to Harare due to complications, where she had to undergo an immediate caesarean operation after developing high blood pressure which threatened her life.
Source - Byo24News
