Women belonging to the John Marange apostolic church countrywide have revealed that they would rather go to their church’s birth places than to medical institutions. This revelation comes when the Health ministry has revealed that several women die during child birth.
The Standard visited the Shamva birth place where old church members help church women deliver their babies.
The publication observed that young girls, young enough to be around 15 years of age were delivering their babies at the place.
A young woman who looked like a teenager told the publication that she had given birth the previous day. She said:
My name is Pamela Mbiriza and I am a new mother. I gave birth yesterday.
A birth attend summarised the process. She said:
It is the holy spirit that tells us if the baby or the mother are in trouble.
The same holy spirit is the one that protects the woman and the baby till birth.
Another birth attendant said that the place was only open to church members. She said:
The holy spirit is what guides us. For one to be accommodated here you must be a committed member of the church. We do not admit strangers.
Prayer and holy water are believed to be the most essential tools birth attendants use when there are complications during birth. The church considers those who visit medical institutions weak in faith in God.
Health officials have said that they have ditched a confrontational approach when dealing with religious groups.
More: The Standard