Christmas babies everywhere

Speaking with reporters at Mt Hope, Deyalsingh said, “I am grateful for my doctors and for my nurses who go beyond the call of duty to work on Christmas Day and to give excellent service. That is what we are trying to do __ to turn around the service delivery end.” Deyalsingh also thanked and congratulated the private sector, especially Dr Ronnie Bhola and Dr Vijay Naraynsingh, who provided free services this Christmas, saying that it showed that there was much goodness in Trinidad and Tobago regardless of all the bad news.

“I am grateful that all of Trinidad and Tobago could participate in this season of cheer and goodwill to bring relief to all our citizens of TT, whether it is in the private sector or the public sector,” he said.

Ayana Thompson-George of Sangre Grande delivered one of the first babies yesterday at the Sangre Grande Hospital. The baby girl was born at 12.30 am, weighing seven pounds. Director of the Eastern Regional Health Authority, Indra Sinanan Ojah-Maharaj, congratulated Thompson-George and presented her with a hamper of baby products.

At the Port-of-Spain General, three baby girls were delivered yesterday morning. Sian-Rose Fournillier delivered her daughter, weighing six pounds, 14 ounces, at 3.48 am. Janee Constance’s baby was born at 8.15 am weighing in at seven pounds, eight ounces; and Shanice St Cyr’s daughter, who was four pounds, ten ounces, was born at 9.10 am.

At the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital, Yolande Clark from Arima delivered her fifth child, Jeremiah, at 1.02 am. He weighed six pounds, eight ounces. She said she did not want the newest addition to her family to be born on Christmas Day because she wanted to be home with her family.

However, she praised the doctors and nurses for their excellent service, saying that they “didn’t stick” but “checked on her and her son “every minute.” She added that she had three of her children at Mt Hope and so was personally aware of how much the service had improved.

Pettlyn Patrick, 23, of Enterprise delivered her six pounds, 14 ounce baby girl at 4.12 am; and Tricia Dindial, 28, of Couva had her six pound, 13 ounce son at 8.26 am.

The mothers received hampers of baby products from the respective Regional Health Authorities as well as the Ministry of Health.

Deyalsingh stated that this year the Ministry of Health worked very hard to reduce maternal mortality and succeeded.