A pregnant woman detained at Chikurubi Female Prison has dragged the government to the High Court, demanding urgent access to proper maternal healthcare, arguing that her constitutional rights are under serious threat.
Melissa Messe Chiyangwa, who has been on remand since June 23 facing theft charges, filed an urgent chamber application on August 1 through lawyers from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR). She is seeking an order compelling the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) to provide adequate antenatal care — including access to a gynaecologist — and allow her to consult private doctors at her own cost.
In the court papers, Chiyangwa claims she has a high-risk pregnancy and has been denied essential medical attention since being incarcerated. She was scheduled to see a private gynaecologist on June 26, but prison authorities reportedly failed to facilitate the visit and made no alternative arrangements.
“Despite knowing about my condition, the prison officials have not prioritised my medical needs,” Chiyangwa said in her affidavit. “I have not received any proper antenatal care. I was only taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital on July 29 — more than a month later — where a doctor raised concerns over excessive amniotic fluid and recommended urgent scans.”
However, the scan was not conducted due to faulty equipment, and Chiyangwa was returned to prison without the recommended care. She was told to return to the hospital on August 6.
The inmate also accused Chikurubi clinic staff of downplaying her pain, saying she was only offered paracetamol for severe back pain — in contrast to her specialist’s advice which called for supervised medical monitoring.
In her application, Chiyangwa wants the High Court to direct ZPCS to assign a full-time gynaecologist to Chikurubi within seven days of the court’s ruling. She is also asking the court to declare the prison’s refusal to allow her access to private medical care a violation of her rights under the Constitution.
She cited several constitutional provisions, including:
• Section 50(5)(c)(v): The right of detained persons to communicate with and be visited by a doctor of their choice at their own expense.
• Section 76(1): The right to access basic healthcare services, including reproductive healthcare.
• Section 50(5)(d): The state’s obligation to ensure humane conditions of detention, including adequate medical treatment.
ZPCS officials, including Officer-in-Charge Moses Chihobvu, the Commissioner-General, and the Sister-in-Charge, are cited as respondents in the matter.
