A Zimbabwe gynaecologist is under investigation for allegedly running an illegal abortion centre at his medical facility in Harare and conducting illegal surrogacy on women.

Specializing as an obstetrician and gynecologist, Innocent Zimbwa, Innocent, is under fire for allegedly luring sex workers and desperate women who want to terminate their pregnancies illegally to his surgery and in some cases illegally assists women in reproductive technology such a surrogacy and illegal collection of eggs which seriously damages women’s health and rights.

Sources within the health sector said Zimbwa was under probe for unethical conduct in discharging his duties.

His licence—if proved true could be revoked by the health council, a source said.

” Zimbwa will never admit that he does abortion work because he knows it will land him in trouble,” said a source at the health council.

“They has been a private investigation on this for some time now. He is a senior police officer and knows that if he is found guilty of this, his job as a cop will end. But the truth is he is doing this at his Central Avenue surgery,” said the source.

Several attempts to get a comment from Zimbwa proved fruitless as he did pick up his calls.

Under Zimbabwe’s 1977 Termination of Pregnancy Act, abortion is only legally permitted under certain circumstances. If conducted illegally, it carries a penalty of up to five years in jail and or a fine.

Yet many women, and even minors like 16-year olds allegedly flock Zimbwa’s surgery seeking to terminate pregnancies illegally.

Some of the people, sources said are commercial sex workers and want the procedure done smoothly.

Backyard abortion facilities are often run by unlicensed midwifes and deregistered medical practitioners and carry the risk of severe complications.

This puts Zimbwa, a registered medical practioner on spotloght as to why he would be running the procedures illegally.

Four out of 10 women who undergo abortions in Zimbabwe experience such complications, including hemorrhages or infection, with some even dying in the process, according to a survey of health professionals.

“Illegal abortions in Zimbabwe have increased from 60,000 to 80,000 per annum — which is very unsustainable.

Poverty has also seen many underage girls resorting to abortion.

“How do I keep doing my job as a sex worker if I allow myself to have a baby? How do I look after the baby if I have no reliable source of income?” said a sex worker in a questionnaire done by the health council when they were conducting the probe.

At his clinic, Zimbwa also works with other doctors who include Makoni, Nothanda Mutizirwa and N.Moyo although the other health practitioners are not being probed by the health council.

Under the country’s punitive abortion laws, for women and girls who want to terminate their pregnancies, they must find their own means — legal or otherwise.

Apart from deregistered doctors, public hospital staff are also in on the illegal abortions trade, helping them smuggle out abortion drugs.

“Per abortion, they make roughly $150 to $200 and in a good month most doctors attend to about 15 to 25 abortion cases. It’s a lot of money if you make your calculations,” said an official at health council.

The maternal mortality rate in Zimbabwe currently stands at 614 deaths per 100,000 live births, one of the highest worldwide, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).