Dark day for women’s health . . . woman dies with fetus’ arm sticking out
IN a home delivery that went terribly wrong, a woman from Mafararikwa Village under Chief Marange’s area died last week after enduring pregnancy-related complications for three days, with her unborn baby’s arm sticking out of her uterus until they both breathed their last.
Ms Jane Muchichwa (30), a member of the Johane Marange Apostolic Church, died on her way to the hospital following her family’s intervention.
The doctrine of the Johane Marange Apostolic Church does not believe in any medicine or conventional health services.
Pregnant women in the church deliver at home-based ‘‘maternity wards’’ referred to as chitsidzo, under the care of church-ordained midwives.
According to an investigation conducted by The Manica Post, the Johane Marange Apostolic Church has three such ‘‘maternity wards’’ in Mafararikwa Village.
As a result, women and children are bearing the brunt of high maternal and neonatal mortality as they depend on unsafe traditional birth attendants and unconventional medicine.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed Ms Muchichwa’s death while in labour.
“We received a report of sudden death after Ms Jane Muchichwa (30) passed on while giving birth. On January 14, Ms
Muchichwa, who was a member of the Johane Marange Apostolic Church, went to stay at a Johane Marange Apostolic Church prophetess, Ms Rupimo’s homestead in Mafararikwa Village in preparation for delivery as she was nine months pregnant.
“On January 15, she started experiencing labour pains and at around 2pm on the same day, the fetus’ arm and umbilical code protruded while the rest of the body — remained inside,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
He said Ms Rupimo continued praying for Ms Muchichwa as she assessed her condition.
“On January 16, Ms Rupimo told Ms Muchichwa’s husband, Mr Makebho Madziro (43) that she had failed to assist the pregnant woman to deliver and advised him to take her to another prophetess.
That evening, Mr Madziro took his wife to another prophetess, Ms Mahove, for assistance,” he said.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said Ms Muchichwa’s elder sister, Ms Sarah Muchichwa visited her the following day and discovered that her condition was deteriorating.
“Ms Sarah Muchichwa phoned their brother, Mr Trymore Chiruka to come and ferry their pregnant sibling to hospital. Sadly she died on their way to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital the following day. Police from Marange attended the scene,” said Assistant
Inspector Chinyoka.
Mr Chiruka, in whose car Ms Muchichwa died on their way to hospital, recounted his sister’s last moments.
“I received a phone call from my mother in Mafararikwa Village early Thursday morning around 4am, alerting me that my sister was due to give birth, but was experiencing complications and her condition had deteriorated over the past two days.
“I immediately drove there and arrived at around 9am before getting to the homestead where she was ‘admitted’ at around 1pm,” said Mr Chiruka.
◆