Private Hospital Detains Woman (75) Over Outstanding Medical Bill | ZLHR Statement
Source: Private Hospital Detains Woman (75) Over Outstanding Medical Bill | ZLHR Statement ⋆ Pindula News A seventy-five year-old woman is suing a private hospital after she was deprived of her freedom by the medical facility, which took the bizarre and extraordinary measure of detaining her, in a desperate bid to induce her to pay […]
A seventy-five year-old woman is suing a private hospital after she was deprived of her freedom by the medical facility, which took the bizarre and extraordinary measure of detaining her, in a desperate bid to induce her to pay an outstanding medical bill.
The 75-year-old Marita Manyore, who resides in Murambinda in Buhera District in Manicaland province, has been detained at Exclusive Medcare Hospital for close to two weeks after hospital authorities refused to discharge her until she made full payment of her medical amounting to US$2 200.
Manyore was admitted at Exclusive Medcare Hospital on 10 February 2026 under the care of a specialist Physician after her family sought medical assistance as she had not been feeling well for some time and following a recommendation that she needed the specialist services of a Physician.
On 15 February 2026, the family requested authorities at Exclusive Medcare Hospital to discharge Manyore after noting that her medical bill stood at US$1 070, which would be out of reach for the family to pay and would also not be able to afford to settle it if the debt kept accumulating.
After conducting an assessment, where the specialist Physician noted that Manyore had recuperated and no longer needed special care, the medical practitioner proceeded to recommend her discharge from the hospital as she could now be managed by general medical practitioners.
But upon advising staff at Exclusive Medcare Hospital about the request to discharge Manyore and after making an offer to pay US$200 of the total medical bill of US$1 070, including making an undertaking to settle the bill in two-monthly instalments of US$500 each, the woman’s family was told that she could not be discharged before making a full settlement of the bill.
On 19 February 2026, the family’s offer to make an initial payment of US$500 was once again turned down as authorities at Exclusive Medcare Hospital demanded a full settlement of the bill and also advised them that the total medical bill had increased to US$1 440.
On 25 February 2026, Manyore’s family proceeded to pay US$500 as part of settling the hospital bill and also engaged Peggy Tavagadza and Tatenda Sigauke of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, who wrote a letter to Exclusive Medcare Hospital protesting against the authorities’ conduct of refusing to discharge the 75 year-old woman.
In the letter, Sigauke and Tavagadza protested against the conduct of the medical facility as not only illegal but also unethical and demanded that Manyore should be discharged as Exclusive Medcare Hospital would suffer no prejudice by promptly discharging the woman and recover outstanding payments through a payment plan as proposed by the family or through debt collection in the event of failure to pay.
Nonetheless, authorities at the medical facility remained adamant and during a meeting held on 26 February 2026 one of the directors of Exclusive Medcare Hospital reportedly told Manyore’s family that the medical bill had increased to US$2 200 hence they were not going to release her as the US$500 that had already been paid as a sign of commitment to servicing the debt, was not motivating enough for the hospital to release the woman.
This left Manyore with no option but to instruct her son Witness Mavambire, who on Saturday, 28 February 2026, sued Exclusive Medcare Hospital by filing an urgent chamber application at Mutare High Court, where she demanded an order declaring her detention as illegal and for the medical facility to immediately end her detention and release her from the hospital.
Through the urgent chamber application, Manyore’s lawyers argued that her continued detention at Exclusive Medcare Hospital is meant to induce payment and is in breach of her constitutional rights.
Sigauke and Tavagadza contended that the continued detention of the elderly and vulnerable Manyore at a place where she is currently not being treated but is accruing additional costs means that she will not be able to get out of that place.
Manyore, who expressed gratitude to Exclusive Medcare Hospital and the attending medical doctors for the treatment and services rendered to her, argued that the contractual obligations she has with the medical facility cannot support the violation of her fundamental rights to continue unabated.
The matter is yet to be set down for a hearing at the Mutare High Court.
