GPHC records sharp decline in maternal deaths, dropping from 11 to 2

…hospital reforms show results – CEO

Maternal deaths at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) have declined significantly this year, with Chief Executive Officer Robbie Rambarran reporting that the institution has recorded two deaths so far, compared to 11 during the corresponding period last year, while highlighting ongoing improvements within the public health system.
Rambarran made the disclosure while speaking on Starting Point Podcast on Saturday while noting that the majority of cases in both years were classified as indirect maternal deaths, linked to underlying comorbidities rather than direct obstetric complications.
“A major impact I’ll attribute is on maternal death. You can see that there has been a significant improvement over the last year; so far for this year we only had two deaths, and both are indirect deaths. Last year we had 11, of which most were indirect deaths. Indirect deaths are not really maternal complication deaths but other comorbidities that have developed,” he said.
Rambarran said the improvements did not happen without deliberate restructuring and planning. He explained that during his years at GPHC as a stores coordinator, he frequently emphasised the importance of prioritising three key areas within the institution, the emergency room, the maternity department, and supplies and logistics, noting that these were often the most scrutinised areas by the public.

Key priority
He added that upon returning to the hospital’s leadership, he identified the maternity department as a key priority, resulting in a complete restructuring of the unit, including changes to leadership, staff operations, shift systems, and on-call arrangements.
Physicians, he said, are now assigned directly to specific units within the department to strengthen oversight and patient monitoring.
“So there is more direct monitoring of the department, rather than before when people were on call in teams. They are still in teams on call, but they previously did not have direct responsibility for a unit, such as the labour ward, prenatal, or postnatal areas, and would wait on a call. But now they are assigned to these areas, so they have to know everything that is going on there. That has been the fundamental breakthrough for us – getting the staff in place and holding them accountable,” he said.
He described the reforms as a major turning point, noting that infrastructural changes included expansion of the maternity ward and improvements aimed at making the facility more comfortable, including air-conditioning across the maternity department.
Rambarran said the upgrades have significantly improved patient comfort, to the point where, in some cases, patients reportedly prefer to remain in the ward.
He added that some patients have even compared the facility to a hotel, joking that they are reluctant to leave because of the quality of care and amenities, including meals, though he acknowledged that this presents certain operational challenges.
He further stated that the hospital has invested heavily in specialised equipment for patient tracing and monitoring. These upgrades, combined with staff realignment and ongoing training, are aimed at improving clinical outcomes.
Rambarran added that international partners, including Mount Sinai and Northwell Health, are working alongside the institution to support staff training and capacity building.
He also explained that GPHC has invested approximately $85.2 billion over the last five years, excluding 2026, much of which has been directed toward staffing.
“We have a high payroll, approximately a billion dollars a month. We have over 2500 staff, and we are still short, but we have highly technical skilled staff, and with all the salary increases over the last five years, we have really raised the wage. But in terms of where it is impactful, you can see where the impact is in a lot of training, postgraduate training,” he stated.
He added that 21 postgraduate training programmes are currently underway at the hospital in collaboration with the University of Guyana and international institutions including McMaster University, the University of Calgary, and Vanderbilt University.
Rambarran said these initiatives are aimed at strengthening specialised care delivery and improving patient outcomes through training and modernised equipment.