THIS year, Guyana’s first Christmas baby is a boy whose mother hails from Canal No. 2 Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

On December 25, 2018, at exactly 12:12 am, Taysuwattie Budhu gave birth to her fourth child at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

To share in the celebration, Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence visited the woman who was in high spirits and excited to know that her baby was healthy, was successfully delivered and that she would be able to go home soon.

Lawrence was accompanied by GPHC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) George Lewis; Board Chairperson Kesaundra Alves and senior hospital officials who welcomed the newborn into the world and congratulated Budhu.

Interacting with the mother, the minister noted that it is quite a joyous occasion to celebrate the birth of a healthy baby during the festive season. It is Lawrence’s custom to set aside time on Christmas Day to meet the ‘Christmas babies’ born at the institution as well as maternity patients still waiting to give birth, as well as those who delivered before December 25.

This first Christmas delivery was followed by the arrival of at least four other babies during the course of the early morning. These mothers include Kesha Wilkinson who gave birth to a girl; Sarifdeen Lakhan who delivered a boy; Lisa Ramlill who give birth to a girl and Sierra Budraj, who also delivered a girl.

Also in the midst were twins born to Shivaughn Hinckson-Bakker of East Bank Berbice.
These two bundles of joy were delivered on the afternoon of Christmas Eve and are the second set of twins to their mother who is sincerely thankful for her blessing of four children born within the space of two years.

Budhu and the other mothers benefitted from maternity hampers, compliment of the GPHC and the Ministry of Public Health.

Meanwhile, Minister Lawrence was also allowed to hold and be introduced to the newborns while mothers in the pre and post-natal and caesarean post-natal wards also received a visit from the minister. They, too, were given ‘mommy packs’ [bags with baby-friendly items] as congratulatory gifts. (DPI)