COVID-19 stalls antenatal care services provision

MATERNITY services in the country have been severely affected by COVID-19 emergency regulations after several clinics scaled down antenatal care services to minimise risks of infection.

Antenatal services form part of the care that a pregnant woman receives to make sure that she and the baby are safe during the pregnancy.

While most health institutions have restricted the number of visitors to around eight per day, most clinics across the country have halved the figure.

Acting Harare city health director Kudzai Masunda told NewsDay that while most clinics had been reopened, visits were still being reduced to avoid over-crowding.

“We have down scaled the visits because of the COVID-19 threat. Previously, women would be put in groups for the antenatal talks with nurses, but that is not possible anymore,” Masunda said.

Harare City Council last year closed its clinics due to staff shortages and the COVID-19 scare.

Many pregnant women ended up giving birth at home with the assistance of untrained birth attendants.

Health stakeholders yesterday raised concerns over the failure to give precedence to maternity healthcare services.

“Maternal health rights remain a priority even during the COVID-19 health crisis. We need to keep the eye on the ball. We need to guard the gains and the progress we had made in reducing maternal-related deaths and health complications,” Fungisayi Dube, from the Citizens Health Watch, said.

Dube said the government needed to have a clear strategy of handling maternal health, adding that this should be communicated to healthcare users.

“Antenatal care registrations and services should continue unhindered. Maternal health services remain a critical right which the government should continue to guard jealously,” she said.

Currently, private maternal care is beyond the reach of many, with facilities like Baines Maternity and the Avenues Clinic charging between US$350 and US$2 000 for delivery only.

The United Nations Population Fund said pregnant women needed constant access to registered health facilities to ensure specialised medical care when the need arose.

The organisation has maintained its mantra that No Woman Should Die While Giving Birth and that COVID-19 should not stop women from giving birth.

Zimbabwe is still battling a high rate of maternal deaths of around 435 per 100 000 live births.

Even though the figure has gone down, it is still unacceptably high.