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Chengeto Jani Midlands Correspondent
Zvishavane and Mberengwa district hospitals are continuing to charge patients for maternity services and contraceptives despite Government’s directive that the services should be provided for free.

The two hospitals are also withholding child birth records for mothers who haven’t settled their bills.

This was revealed by villagers from both districts during a fact-finding mission by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women and Youth Affairs that visited Zvishavane and Mberengwa district hospitals on Wednesday.

Villagers from both Zvishavane and Mberengwa told the committee that institutions withhold birth records of mothers who have not yet settled their maternity bills and that some of those bills date back to seven years ago.

“We pay for every service that we get from the hospital. I gave birth at Mberengwa Hospital two years ago and they are still holding on to my birth record because I did not clear the balance,” said a villager who identified herself as Miss Moyo.

The villagers also revealed that they were buying contraceptives from the hospital.

“Villagers in Zvishavane said that the district hospital continues to charge them maternity fee of $20, while contraceptive pills and injections cost $1 and $2 respectively.

Mberengwa villagers revealed that they are charged $90 for maternity services, while being asked to bring their own supplies including latex gloves, spirit and cotton wool.

“When we come to the hospital for pills or injections, we are always asked to pay, even when we encounter complications from the jadel or depo injections, we have to pay $10 to have it removed. This is how it has always been,” said a villager.

This irked the committee led by Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, which explained to the villagers that all health institutions must have conformed to Government’s directive to scrap maternity user fees.

Zvishavane Ward 1 councillor, Rowayi Kasiyapasi added that women only access free services from other stakeholders.

“It’s only when stakeholders such as Population Services Zimbabwe come to the hospitals that women get free services. The hospitals still continue to charge them,” she said.

Zvishavane District medical officer Dr Tapiwa Mavurayi, however, disputed the villager’s claims, saying that contraceptives and maternity services were being offered for free since the time that Government issued the directive.

“We have since started to offer those services from free and it has directly affected our revenue base as we are now only depending on X-ray and consultation for our revenue.

“Our budget allocation has to be improved to cover the gap,” said Dr Mavurayi.

He said they have challenges in trying to recover debts from the community as most villagers provide wrong addresses while some were nomadic due to mining activities taking place in the area.

Other members of the committee are Tafanana Zhou, Dorothy Ndlovu, Margaret Matienga, Phelela Masuku, Felly Chirisa, Monica Chigundu and Machirairwa Mugidho.