By Lerato ndlovu
The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) was shocked with the sad scenes emerging from Mbare were women were giving birth in an unregistered and unsafe home place.
In a statement issued by the association they stated that traditional medical practices are a clear result of a failing health care system that needs to be attended to urgently
“These stone age and medieval traditional medical practices are a clear result of a failing health care system that needs to be urgently attended to.
“The ZHDA calls for urgent financial investment to capacitate formal health care workers and prioritization of health services by government and stake holders in dealing with the unfolding health care crisis.” It read.
“The basic obstetric package asset by the World Health Organization (WHO) is an irreplaceable and essential minimum required in running a maternity care center as far as skills, equipment and drugs are concerned,” continued the statement.
Concerns that were raised by the Association was with regards to complications that may rise due to home deliveries that can affect the women during and after birth.
“We are worried on how other emergences that require urgent surgical and specialist expertise like placental rupture, obstructed labor, breech presentation and preterm deliveries (amongst others) are being currently managed.” “We maintain that a speedy resolution of the labor dispute or standoff with medical doctors can avert these catastrophic experiences amongst the populace,” continued the statement.
The ZHDA urges the relevant authorities to look into this matter as a matter of urgency and address the incapacitation medical doctors as a lasting solution to this ongoing crisis.
“The Ministry of Health has the constitutional mandate to safeguard the right to health particularly maternal health for all Zimbabwean women, this issue must be looked into as a matter of urgency and address the incapacitation in medical doctors as a lasting solution to this devastating crisis.
The anticipated drop in the maternal mortality rate as espoused in our national targets or the SDGs will remain elusive and an uphill task as long as unsafe obstetric practices are perpetuated, supported and praised.
The statement follows the applauding of a Mbare women who was reported to be helping with child birth deliveries at her homestead during the height of demonstrations by medical practices.
