Women accessing high- quality maternal care in all regions – Dr Anthony

…no need for referrals to GPHC

The Health Ministry is confident that women are accessing high quality maternal care in all regions across the country and that there is no need for unnecessary referrals to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
A few days ago, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony revealed a series of strategic investments aimed at ensuring that all women, regardless of their location, can access high-quality healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth.
Speaking at the launch of the newborn cash grant at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Saturday, Anthony detailed the key advancements in healthcare, focusing on the introduction of waiting homes and improvements to primary healthcare services—particularly for newborns in remote and interior regions.
“Previously mothers had to, when they go into labour, they had to travel all the way to get to the hospital. Sometimes that’s a journey of three hours, four hours and in many instances they will give birth along the way to the hospital in non-hygienic conditions which can lead to a lot of complications for both mother and baby. We have almost stopped that practice because what we have been able to do now is to build homes in the compound of our hospitals in the different parts of our country and we call them waiting homes. So, before a mother goes into labour, the mother can come there, wait until she goes into labour and then she is transferred from that waiting home into the hospital where she can give safe birth,” he said.

According to the Minister, this initiative has led to a significant drop in maternal mortality rates in regions where the waiting homes have been implemented.
In addition to the waiting homes, the Government has focused on strengthening primary healthcare services nationwide. Pregnant women now have access to comprehensive healthcare at primary health centres, where they can undergo necessary tests to determine whether their pregnancies are high-risk.
Early identification of high-risk pregnancies allows for targeted care and attention, greatly improving the chances of a safe and successful delivery for both mother and baby.
“We have been able to put a lot of investments into our hospitals so that when someone is ready to give birth they can go to a hospital where they would be able to do so in a safe manner. And we have seen the results of that because over the years we have seen a decline in maternal mortality and that’s a good thing”.
“In the past the only place where we had a neonatal unit was at the Georgetown Hospital. So, if the baby is a little bit premature, they have to come down to Georgetown Hospital where they can get care. Now we have extended these services so that at all of our regional hospitals now have neonatal units so babies that are a little bit premature can get those services right at their regional hospital. And this is important. It is important because we want to ensure that people are getting care closer to home,” the Minister explained.
With these initiatives, Dr Anthony emphasised that the Government is committed to providing high-quality maternal and neonatal care to every region of the country.
Looking to the future, the Government is committed to further improving healthcare accessibility across the country. Dr Anthony revealed that six new regional hospitals are set to open this year, in locations including Lima, De Kinderen, Diamond, Bath, Enmore and Number 75.
Dr Anthony also pointed to the modern speciality hospital at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), which will provide specialised services for women and children. This facility is expected to make a significant difference in the quality of care available to those in need of specialised attention.