Five babies were born on Christmas Day in East Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and all were born at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
The two boys and three girls kept the maternity staff busy for more than twenty hours on Christmas Day.
Esther Rahim receiving the hamper after delivering her first child and the Region’s first Christmas baby
The first baby was born to 19-year-old Natasha Gobin of Skeldon, Corriverton. The 2.7 kg boy is her first child. The proud mother experienced no difficulty in delivering the Ancient County’s first Christmas baby at 01:34h.
Less than five hours later, Esther Rahim gave birth to the first girl, a 3.1 kg baby at about 06:05h. This elated mother has said the entire family is happy.
“It is a wonderful feeling, because not so many mothers would give birth on such a special day,” she excitedly related to this newspaper.
It was five hours after being admitted that Rahim gave birth. Initially, she was eying a New Year’s baby, but nature changed those plans.
“The nurses were well. They treated me well; I have no complaints. They took their time and did not rush me or holler on me, like some other mothers would say,” the mother of two said.
Meanwhile, at 09:28h Keyona Angus gave birth to the Region’s second girl, weighing 3.2kg. And from then the nurses and doctors were kept waiting, as two more mothers were in the labour room.
They waited until 15:00h when Jill Sookram of Number 46 Village, Corentyne gave birth to yet another girl, and five hours later, 21-year-old Roberta Alphin of Orealla give birth to a boy to ensure that 2020 Christmas Day deliveries at the New Amsterdam Hospital were 100 per cent successful.
Hampers were given to all five of the mothers.
Natasha Gobin having a chat with Health Services Director Dr Vishalya Sharma at the NA Hospital
Regional Health Services Director Dr Vishalya Sharma explained that this is a traditional practice. However apart from them, children at the pediatric ward were also given goodies as a Christmas treat.
“The whole aim is to make the hospital a little bit less traumatic, because it is a special time of the year – a festive time – and we are in very challenging times, so we are hoping that these little gestures would make the day a little bit better for them, and serve in some way to make the hospital experience a little better,” Sharma said.
The five babies born on Christmas Day 2020 at the New Amsterdam Hospital equals the number born on the same day in 2019. In 2018, there were seven Christmas babies at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
