By Navendra Seoraj

AN investigation has been launched following the publication of a photo, in various sections of the media, depicting a mother breastfeeding her child under a bed in the Maternity Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton, confirmed to the Guyana Chronicle that a full investigation is being conducted into the matter.

“We have launched an investigation with the view of finding out how that was allowed to happen and to also take the necessary steps, including disciplinary action, so as to avoid [sic] this from occurring again,” Minister Norton said, as he expressed his disappointment with the situation.
According to a source at the hospital, there is still some bit of uncertainty as to how that happened, but both mother and baby have been discharged. Space issues within the hospital’s maternity section have been prevalent in the past, but never escalated to the extent that a mother and baby have had to lie under a bed.
MATERNITY WARD PROJECT
In order to curb the long-existing space problem, the Government in the 2016 National Budget had set aside $89 million for the development of the facility’s Maternity Unit, which began sometime back.
The extension of the Maternity Ward is expected to be completed on May 15, 2016, and will see the unit benefiting from table-top foetal heart rate monitors, hand-held foetal heart monitors and portable ultrasound machines.
The facility will feature 50 beds and a 17-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), an Operating Theatre and birthing rooms that are soundproof. GPHC is regarded as the national referral hospital, which caters for high-risk pregnancies among other emergency cases. The hospital delivers approximately 60 per cent of the babies born in Guyana each year.
In 2014, the hospital recorded its highest birth rate with a figure of 6,085, and the services of this institution are always in demand by an abundance of patients.
In light of this, Minister Norton in the past noted that once the revival of health centres across Guyana is realised, it will ideally aid in reducing the traffic of patients at the GPHC, as they can then be referred to other health centres/hospitals.
In reference to the completion of the Maternity Ward project, Minister Norton noted that the GPHC will be able to cater for the needs of referred patients as they will be provided with better and improved services.
Many have shared their experiences at the GPHC and highlighted the issue of the lack of equipment and tools. In addressing this matter, Dr Norton said that he aims to have a one-on-one sit-down session with every specialist in the Maternity Ward and the hospital as a whole to garner their inputs on a range of issues.