Denial of maternal healthcare services worrisome

THE denial of access to maternal healthcare services has resurfaced in Harare, especially at Glen View and Budiriro polyclinics, a situation that has the potential to claim lives if not addressed.

Pregnant women allege that the Glen View Polyclinic is no longer registering them for maternal health services while health personnel at Budiriro Polyclinic are instructing those who want to register for such services to register on the day of delivery.

At Budiriro Polyclinic, the situation is terrifying as the health personnel is not treating pregnancy as an emergency.

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has engaged the management in the city health department on the matter and they have promised to conduct a fact-finding mission at the clinics to address the crisis.

The denial of access to maternal health services also came at a time when the City of Harare unilaterally resolved to close nine clinics in the city citing health personnel shortage and to this end CHRA has engaged legal experts for possible litigation.

In October 2020, the High Court granted an interim relief for pregnant women and ordered the Harare City Council to open its 42 clinics and offer pregnant women emergency treatment after the local authority had closed more than 30 clinics.

Insiders have pointed out that morale is low in the health department due to poor working conditions and the recent proposal to transfer local authority nurses to central government for purposes of accessing their salaries.

Maternal healthcare services are protected under section 76 of the Constitution which gives citizens the right to basic healthcare, including reproductive health services, with citizens given the right not to be refused emergency medical treatment at any healthcare institution.