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A survey conducted by Chronicle in Bulawayo yesterday revealed that expecting mothers were registering for antenatal care and delivery for free.
The services include monthly antenatal check-ups and delivery, excluding other ailments that are not related to pregnancy.
The women are required to produce a national identity card, proof of residence to register at the clinics, while those registering at hospitals are asked to produce the same documents accompanied by referral letters from clinics.
Expecting mothers were paying $50 at council clinics and $65 at public hospitals for babies delivered through caesarean operation.
The majority of women who end up at Government hospitals are those who would have experienced complications, which require them to go to the referral hospitals like United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and Mpilo Central Hospital.
The Government hospitals scrapped maternity fees on Tuesday while clinics were ordered to do away with the fees yesterday.
Health institutions visited yesterday include UBH, Mpilo Central Hospital, Pelandaba and Northern Suburbs clinics.
An official from one of the clinics said they had just received the directive from the Bulawayo City Council and had immediately stopped collecting money from expecting mothers.
The women who spoke to Chronicle commended the Government for the move, saying it would reduce the burden of giving birth and spare new mothers from being embarrassed after being detained at the hospitals for failing to pay the fees.
“What the Government has done is a huge achievement not only for women but for the whole nation. Most women were failing to access antenatal care services at the public health facilities because they could not afford the maternity fees.
“The hospitals had resorted to detaining new mothers to force them to pay the fees, which was not fair especially on the new born babies. The development had also forced some women to give birth at home,” said Ms Siphiwe Nkomo from Njube suburb.
Ms Nkomo, who is three months pregnant, said she was still trying to raise the money to register for antenatal care services before she heard about the scrapping of maternity user fees.
Mrs Sharon Matava of Pelandaba said the Government had shown its determination to improve the welfare of women and children.
Efforts to get comment from senior officials at UBH and Mpilo Hospital were fruitless.
Last week the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Henry Madzorera, confirmed the development and said the ministry had a budget of more than $430 million for the next five years and had collected $45 million through the Health Transition Fund (HTF).
Online Reporter