PREGNANT women are now struggling to access health
facilities as public transport has become scarce during the coronavirus
(Covid-19) lockdown, forcing many of them to walk long distances to access
prenatal care.
In urban areas and because of the current lockdown,
pregnant women have missed their check-ups and prenatal care while those who
had booked earlier at distant clinics or hospitals had to cancel bookings and
rebook at nearer health facilities.
Zimbabwe Senior Hospital Doctors Association
secretary-general Aaron Musara told the Daily News on Sunday that these issues
should be immediately addressed as lack of access to health facilities during
pregnancy is risky to women.
“Transport is needed for quick access to healthcare
facilities. It certainly is a great challenge with the lockdown. Delayed access
can result in avoidable complications,” Musara said.
The Zimbabwe Coalition of Debt and Development (Zimcodd)
has complained that expecting mothers who are about to give birth are now
expected to go to clinics at an advanced stage of their labour and are
immediately discharged soon after child birth.
“Those who come in as soon as they experience the first
labour pain are examined and in this case, discharged because they are not
‘ready’ to give birth. It is unfortunate that these women are faced with the
possibility of giving birth at home or on their way to the clinic which is not
safe,” Zimcodd said in a statement recently.
Women’s Academy Leadership in Political Excellence (Walpe)
programmes manager Batanayi Colletta Mapinde Gwangwawa has called on government
to introduce mobile prenatal services to ease the burden that pregnant women
are now facing.
“There should now be mobile prenatal services in the
communities where women can still get the services. These can be conducted by
primary care nurses.
“The traditional birth attendants and village health worker
system should be revived, up scaled and further equipped with essentials such
as drugs, gloves and sanitisers,” Gwangwawa said.
She added that government can also introduce a dedicated
public transport system for expectant mothers so that they can travel to
various health centres without any challenges. Daily News
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