The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
THE Apostolic Christian Church of Zimbabwe has condemned the uncivilised way in which a pregnant woman died together with her twin babies at the Rusape African Apostolic Church shrine, saying police must investigate the incident.
ACCZ suspects foul play and negligence. The umbrella body of the white garment apostolic sects and Zion churches’ leader Archbishop Johannes Ndanga said the death of Esther Mukadiro-Nyahoda, who had been medically advised to undergo a Caesarean section as one of her twin babies was in a breech position but spurned the advice on “spiritual advice” and died in labour was abominable.
The African Apostolic Church is led by one Bishop Tsikwa and operates a shrine adjacent to a piggery project in Sanzaguru.
The pregnant mother had an ultrasound scan which detected that she had twins, one of whom was in a breech position and recommended a Caesarean section.
The woman went into labour before August 26 at the sect’s shrine where she suffered a macerated stillbirth.
The woman lost a lot of blood as the midwife tried to induce her into delivering the second breech baby without success.
It was only when the woman was unconscious that the midwife admitted failure and rushed the victim to Sanzaguru Clinic where authorities referred her to Rusape General Hospital.
At Rusape General Hospital doctors noted that her level of consciousness was very low and tried to administer some medication to resuscitate her before transferring her to Mutare Provincial Hospital where she died on arrival.
ACCZ Registrar for Gender and Child Care Bishop Busani Sibanda said police should probe the uncivilised and abominable death of Esther and her babies.
“The church must be investigated because they should not have detained that pregnant woman the moment she got into early labour. They are not qualified medical personnel and should have rushed her to hospital so that such complications could be attended, not to detain her at that shrine.
“Prayers and other things could have been done when the woman was in safe hands in the hospital maternity ward. This matter involves death, and police must investigate to see if there was no foul play and negligence,” said Bishop Sibanda.
Bishop Sibanda said ACCZ had made great strides in evangelising to meet global standards and values and encourages its affiliates to seek medication to avoid unnecessary deaths.
“Midwives should be vetted and trained by medical personnel before being certified by the registry department of ACCZ which I lead because we believe no woman should die while giving birth. Incidents like this occur where some people operate shrines without being trained and certified.
“Such deaths are often a result of negligence, and under the circumstances we cannot defend them. There is real danger that this particular shrine is manned by fake prophets. If they are genuine why should they not come for certification and get registered? What are they hiding?” said Bishop Sibanda.
“We have always been telling these people not to detain patients at their shrines in cases where the pain is excessive since they are mere lay people. I am the one responsible for their registration and certification, and the ACCZ is also going to investigate that particular case. We would like to convey our condolences to the bereaved family and will ensure that stern measures are taken to avoid such regrettable and unnecessary loss of life,” said Bishop Sibanda.
Bishop Sibanda urged apostolic sects to embrace civility and adhere to the country’s health care dictates in curbing maternal deaths.
Makoni District Medical Officer Dr Tendai Nyafesa last week said an audit to establish what really transpired was still to be carried out.
The Manica Post understands that the woman was carrying her first pregnancy and had three antenatal (pregnancy) care visits at Sanzaguru Clinic during which she was advised to undertake the “anomaly scan” to check for structural abnormalities (anomalies) in the babies.
The scan revealed that she had twins, but one of the babies was in breeching presentation and recommended a C-section.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP2011) study notes that refusal of medical treatment or advice on the basis of religious beliefs has “a strong bearing on the child mortality rate in Zim- babwe”.
The report reads: “The reticence towards uptake of modern healthcare services, including maternal and child health, has a direct consequence on maternal and child morbidity and mortality as it increases risks to avoidable illnesses, deaths, and vaccine-preventable diseases.”
