Harare Correspondent
CHITUNGWIZA, Zimbabwe – An undercover investigation has exposed a rampant culture of corruption at public hospitals where midwives and nurses are demanding bribes of up to US$25 from pregnant women for basic services that are officially free, directly endangering maternal health.
The investigation, focused on Chitungwiza Central Hospital, found that expectant mothers are routinely forced to make informal payments for essential services like pregnancy registration, a critical step to secure a place to give birth.
The scene at the hospital’s antenatal care (ANC) section is one of desperation. Women gather as early as 7am, hoping to be registered.
Among them was Fortunate Chingwara, 39 weeks pregnant with her third child. Unemployed and struggling financially, she relied on the hospital’s promised free care to avoid a US$35 fee at her local clinic.
After a nurse announced they would only accept registrations for women with specific conditions—like previous C-sections or being over 38—Chingwara, who did not qualify, was devastated. Later, after being told the registration books were “finished,” she approached a lead nurse to plead her case.
“The nurse says she can help her if she pays US$15 or US$20, but Chingwara does not have this amount, she walks away without getting her pregnancy registered,” the investigation found.
This practice is not isolated. A 2021 survey by Transparency International Zimbabwe found that 74% of respondents reported being asked for bribes when accessing healthcare.
Analysts say this creates a hidden financial barrier that worsens Zimbabwe’s high maternal mortality rate, estimated at 365 deaths per 100,000 live births.
A nurse at the hospital, Memory Zhou*, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, confirmed the corrupt system.
“Announcing that books are finished is a strategy they use to try and coerce women to pay for a service they should get for free because of desperation,” Zhou said.
She attributed the corruption to poor salaries and lack of motivation.
However, hospital administration claims to be unaware of the issue. Raphael Makota, the chief medical officer at Chitungwiza Hospital, said they had not received any formal complaints.
“We take such allegations very seriously. If such concerns have arisen internally, investigations will be promptly launched,” Makota said.
He added that the hospital receives an average of 50 registration books per week and has a flexible system to scale up when demand increases.
Women’s rights advocate and former nurse, Edna Masiiwa, slammed the decline in care, stating that policy does not match reality.
“I know policy says maternal health is free in Zimbabwe, but free is not free,” Masiiwa said.
“The government should resource the health sector; people are being corrupt because the health sector is not well-resourced.”
This crisis reflects a broader problem across Africa.
A study across eight African nations found over 30% of respondents paid bribes for healthcare, with the poorest most impacted. In Sierra Leone, 84% of respondents under a “free” maternal care program admitted to paying bribes.
The corrupt practices effectively erect a hidden “cost barrier” that prevents the most vulnerable from accessing essential, life-saving care.
(Memory Zhou*, Not Her Real Name)
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