Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony yesterday commissioned a $40 million,14-bed, maternity waiting home in Mabaruma, Region One.
The facility, which is situated minutes away from the Mabaruma Regional Hospital, offers expectant mothers a comfortable and secure place to stay during the later stages of pregnancy, ensuring access to essential healthcare services when it is needed the most. A release from the Ministry of Health said that the home is equipped with trained staff to provide support and monitor the health of mothers and their babies even after delivery.
According to the release, this $40 million investment is the second of its kind in the region which aims to improve maternal health outcomes by providing a safe and supportive environment for expectant mothers, particularly those living in far-flung areas.
During his remarks at the opening, Dr Anthony highlighted government’s efforts to ensure health equality while reducing maternal mortality.
“Unfortunately, last year, we had about 14 maternal deaths across the country but most were recorded as indirect deaths, meaning they had other issues because they didn’t come and access care before and they came very late….” He further stated, “The 14 deaths reported, however, reflects a significant decline in maternal deaths in Guyana but we still want to work to get as close as possible to zero death.”
The Minister took the opportunity to warn mothers-to-be about the dangers of not attending the regularly scheduled antenatal clinic visits as this can lead to severe complications which can be life-threatening.
“I want to appeal to everyone, not just in this region, but across the country, please utilise the services that we are offering. And once you utilise it, you can minimise the amount of complications that you can have during pregnancy.”
The Maternity Waiting Home is part of the Health Ministry’s broader initiative to enhance maternal health services in Region One. It includes training healthcare providers, increasing access to prenatal and postnatal care, and telehealth services and increasing awareness and education about the importance of maternal health, the release added.