KEY POINTS
- Precious Tsindikeni lost her baby after experiencing premature labor and delayed care at a public hospital.
- Zimbabwe’s public hospitals are overwhelmed, particularly in maternal care, leading to poor service.
- Obstetric fistula remains a serious health issue in Zimbabwe, worsened by inadequate resources and delayed medical intervention.
Precious Tsindikeni, 33, from Mashonaland Central province, breaks down every time she sees the clothes she had prepared for her unborn child.
She had been expecting to give birth in August.
However, she experienced premature labor in July during her visit to her sister in Harare for a family emergency meeting.
The premature labor and subsequent loss of her baby left her emotionally scarred and struggling to cope.
“I knew my due date was near—around August—but I had to rush to Harare for a family emergency,” Tsindikeni said. “Things didn’t go as planned.”
This article is part six in the series The High Cost of Motherhood: A Silent Maternal Healthcare Epidemic in Zimbabwe, supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation.
A Strain on public healthcare
On July 6, 2024, around 7 p.m., Tsindikeni experienced labor pains and was rushed to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, a public referral institution offering free maternal healthcare.
Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, located in Southerton, Harare, serves mostly low-income patients. In recent years, the hospital’s maternal unit has been overwhelmed by an increase in women seeking affordable healthcare.
“When I arrived at the hospital at around 8 p.m., I was told I was 2 centimeters dilated and was taken to the waiting ward, where other women were sleeping on the floor. I had to join them,” Tsindikeni said.
The next day, around 5 p.m., Tsindikeni was informed that her baby had passed meconium, and she was prepped for an emergency Caesarean section.
Meconium, a baby’s first stool, can be passed before birth, potentially causing complications.
“I was moved to the early labor ward while the doctor instructed his juniors to book me for an emergency C-section at 4 a.m. I was told not to push as it wasn’t safe for the baby, and I complied. But I spent the whole night in severe pain,” she said.
A devastating outcome
“Before 4 a.m., a female doctor examined me just before I went into surgery and realized the baby was close. I was confused and unsure what to do, as the doctor had been harsh with me. She commanded me to push, and after 20 minutes, I delivered. Sadly, the baby didn’t survive,” Tsindikeni recounted tearfully.
Doctors said the baby may have suffered fetal distress, as reported by Newsday.
Tsindikeni has struggled to accept the loss of her first child. Since then, she has struggled with the trauma of her experience.
Tsindikeni is among the many women in Zimbabwe left with lifelong scars after childbirth. The trauma she endured shows the difficulties faced by many women in the country.
According to the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), maternal mortality remains a significant issue in the country. The National Development Strategy 1 emphasizes the importance of quality healthcare, yet Zimbabwe’s maternal mortality rate stands at 363 per 100,000 live births—far higher than the Sustainable Development Goal target of less than 70 per 100,000 by 2030.
“This is worrying, as maternal mortality is a primary indicator of a country’s overall health status,” ZIMCODD said.
Tsindikeni believes that, despite the availability of free maternal healthcare, poor service due to underfunding failed her.
“I am heartbroken. If they had performed the C-section earlier, my baby could have been saved,” she said.
Unable to afford private healthcare, she vowed to save enough money to avoid public institutions in the future.
Obstetric fistula and healthcare shortfalls
Melody Chikanga, 21, from Epworth, a peri-urban community in Harare, shares a similar story. While she successfully delivered her baby, her labor was prolonged, and she endured a severe vaginal tear, which she fears may have caused obstetric fistula.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) describes obstetric fistula as one of the most severe childbirth injuries, often caused by prolonged labor without timely medical intervention. The condition results in a hole between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum, leading to chronic health issues, social isolation, and worsened poverty.
Donald Mujiri, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Child Care, said delays in maternal care are due to a variety of factors, including limited access to healthcare, inadequate resources, and socio-economic barriers.
“Addressing these challenges is crucial to preventing obstetric fistula and ensuring safe maternal healthcare in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Over the years, the ministry has faced numerous obstacles, including limited resources, inadequate funding, and shortages of trained healthcare providers, especially in rural areas. This shortage hinders both quality maternal care and fistula repair services.
Mujiri said the ministry is working with stakeholders to introduce initiatives aimed at reducing obstetric fistula and improving maternal health.
“We are providing free fistula repair surgeries in collaboration with partners such as UNFPA, the Fistula Foundation, and Artmedis International,” he said.
