By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur

FIVE women of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will forever remember December 25, 2020, not because of a traditional material gift, but for the birth of their precious boy or girl, who was delivered at the New Amsterdam Hospital on that day.

Since ancient times, the birth of children on this day has been widely celebrated because the holiday itself, as stated in biblical texts, commemorates and celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

While this occasion might not be auspicious in this context to all, it is still known as a time for joy, gratitude and fulfillment, all of which were captured on the faces and by the actions of the five women who delivered their babies on Friday.

The mothers, who hail from various parts of Region Six, gave birth to two boys and three girls. And, as is customary at the hospital, the administrators, doctors and nurses ensured that the festivities were not absent. The hospital workers even went the extra mile to bring in ‘Santa’ all the way from the “North Pole.”
Director of Health Services Region Six, Dr. Vishalya Sharma said that the health services would usually visit the children and maternity wards of the hospital on Christmas Day to distribute gifts and “goodies bags” to mothers and their new-born children.

“We want to make the hospital stay less traumatic, because it is a special time of the year; it is a festive time, and we are in challenging times. And we are hoping that the gesture can serve in some way to make the hospital experience a little more friendly,” said Dr. Sharma in an invited comment on Saturday.
Natasha Gobin, 19, of Corriverton and a first-time mother, gave birth to a six-pound baby boy at around 01:34h, making her the first of the five mothers in the maternity ward to give birth. Gobin was all smiles as she reminisced about seeing her baby for the first time.

She said that despite the pain from the Cesarean (C-section) surgery, it was worth every bit of it. Aurora Ester Gabriana Rahim, a baby girl weighing just over six pounds, was delivered by the medical staff at 06:05h to an excited Ester Halley Rahim, who hails from 41 Scheme, New Amsterdam.
The overjoyed mother said that her due date was initially slated for the first week of 2021, but she started experiencing labour pains, and went to the hospital last week. She said this is now her second child.
Rahim’s first child was a daughter as well, and she has even more reason now to celebrate the holidays. Some three hours and twenty minutes later, the staff delivered another baby girl to Keyona Angus. The baby weighs 7.1 pounds.

Jill Sookram was the fourth woman to deliver a baby. At 17:00h, Sookram delivered a girl weighing 5.7 pounds, while Roberta Alphin, 21, of Orealla, gave birth at 22:00h to a 6.6-pound baby boy.
Staff at of the Paediatric and Maternity Unit, along with the Chief Executive Officer of the New Amsterdam Hospital, Michael Khan and Medical Superintendent, Dr. Vasana Henry accompanied Dr. Sharma on the visit.