Maternal deaths reduced by 75% under Coalition
―Min. Lawrence announces at women rally
―Ministry closer to zeroing then rate
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, February 27, 2020
“Maternal deaths are down by seventy-five percent!” Minister of Public Health Hon. Volda Lawrence announce at the Coalition’s women’s rally held at the Parade ground, Georgetown this evening
The Minister told the huge gathering of women because of interventions by this administration over the past four years the Ministry of Public Health has improved maternal and child health services in Guyana.
In 2017 the government acquired a $1.6Billion (US$8M) loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to implement a Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Improvement Project in Regions Three, Four and Nine.
Since that project has been introduced, ambulances have been provided for each of these regions while ATVs and motorcycles have been provided for Region Nine.
Community Health workers have been trained specifically in MCH to serve in communities across Region Nine. A boat and engine have recently been handed over to Santa Mission in Region Three to transport pregnant women.
Also, four maternity waiting homes have been established. One at Suddie in Essequibo, one in Georgetown at the Indigenous Peoples’ hostel, one Annai in Region Nine and another at the Lethem Regional Hospital.
Minister Lawrence noted that these interventions ensure women have access to quality healthcare regardless of their location in Guyana.
Also, the Ministry’s has implemented recommendations by PAHO/WHO to improve service delivery. The goal is to reduce the maternal death rate to zero the Health Minister underscored.