Brighton Chiseva in Zaka
22 Jan 2017 – ZAKA – The Catholic-run Musiso Mission Hospital management is in a habit of detaining patients who fail to pay their bills with some spending more than a week, TellZim News has learnt.
Last week, a maternity patient, Pertunia Gwete from Dahwa in Chekenyere area was detained after she failed to pay US$90 maternity fees.
Gwete was admitted at the Hospital on January 03, 2017 and was supposed to be released on the January 10 but she was detained on bed number 26 in the maternity ward.
Last Saturday, TellZim News managed to contact her at the hospital where she was still detained.
Gwete said she had no means of the fees while detained at the hospital.
“I do not work; I have no other means of getting the money while I am here. If I go out, I may find other means to get the money,” said Gwete.
The matter was criticised by many including the Provincial Medical Doctor (PMD) Dr Amadeus Shamu who said it was not proper for the hospital to detain patients over hospital bills.
“The hospital should find other means of recovering their money that do not involve the detention of patients,” said Shamhu.
He also said he will call the hospital management for inquiries about the issue saying that has to stop.
A social worker based in Jerera also condemned the hospital for violating the rights of the innocent newly-born baby who deserves freedom.
“What the hospital is doing is a violation of human rights. The baby is innocent and does not deserve to be punished because the parents are poor,” he said.
In November last year another detained maternity patient was immediately released from the hospital after the matter began to receive public attention.news
