A 30-year-old woman from Mafararikwa Village under Chief Marange’s area died last week after enduring pregnancy-related complications for three days.
The woman, Jane Muchichwa (30), a member of the Johane Marange Apostolic Church, died on her way to the hospital following her family’s intervention.
According to The Manica Post, Muchichwa died with her unborn baby’s arm sticking out of her uterus.
The acting spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Manicaland Province, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed Muchichwa’s death while in labour. He said:
We received a report of sudden death after Ms Jane Muchichwa (30) passed on while giving birth.
On January 14, Ms Muchichwa, who was a member of the Johane Marange Apostolic Church, went to stay at a Johane Marange Apostolic Church prophetess, Ms Rupimo’s homestead in Mafararikwa Village in preparation for delivery as she was nine months pregnant.
On January 15, she started experiencing labour pains and at around 2 PM on the same day, the fetus’ arm and umbilical cord protruded while the rest of the body remained inside.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said Rupimo (pictured above) continued praying for Muchichwa as she assessed her condition. He said:
On January 16, Ms Rupimo told Ms Muchichwa’s husband, Mr Makebho Madziro (43) that she had failed to assist the pregnant woman in delivery and advised him to take her to another prophetess.
That evening, Mr Madziro took his wife to another prophetess, Ms Mahove, for assistance.
Asst Insp. Chinyoka said Muchichwa’s elder sister, Sarah Muchichwa visited her the following day and discovered that her condition had deteriorated. He said:
Ms Sarah Muchichwa phoned their brother, Mr Trymore Chiruka to come and ferry their pregnant sibling to hospital.
Sadly she died on their way to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital the following day. Police from Marange attended the scene.
Chiruka, in whose car Muchichwa died on their way to the hospital, revealed that his sister had earlier been transferred from two other midwives, with all of them failing to deliver her baby.
He said by the time they embarked on the journey to the hospital, the baby was already lifeless, with its hand and the umbilical cord protruding. Said Chiruka:
I consulted her husband on the way forward and he agreed to have her taken to hospital. My other sister, Sarah, accompanied us.
Jane was writhing in pain and crying out for help. After driving for about 7km on our way to the hospital, she died.
I immediately called her husband, informing him of the situation and he advised us to drive back to his homestead.
Police later arrived and ferried the body to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.
Her death could have been avoided if she was taken to the hospital when she developed those complications.
By the moment they transferred her to the third midwife without any success in delivering her baby, they should have realised that her condition required medical attention without any further delays.
Muchichwa was buried last week on Friday in Mafararikwa Village after the post-mortem fetal extrusion process was carried out at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.
Postmortem fetal extrusion or coffin birth is the process whereby an unborn fetus is expelled from the body after a pregnant woman has died.
Mafararikwa Village Head, Crispen Mafararikwa said that Muchichwa was not accorded the usual rites members of the Johane Marange Apostolic Church get when they are buried as she was taken to the hospital in violation of the church’s religious beliefs.
The doctrine of the Apostolic sect does not believe in any medicine or conventional health services.
Pregnant women in the church deliver at home-based “maternity wards” referred to as “chitsidzo”, under the care of church-ordained midwives.
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