The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has recorded a slight increase in maternal deaths for 2025, with most cases involving patients transferred from private health institutions in critical condition.
Chief Executive Officer of GPHC, Robbie Rambarran, disclosed on Wednesday that the hospital has reported nine maternal deaths so far this year, compared to eight in 2024. He noted that the majority of these patients were referrals from private hospitals and arrived in severe or irreversible states.
“Many of the patients who died were transferred from private hospitals. In several cases, they arrived intubated, leaving little more that could be done,” Rambarran explained at the sidelines of an event at the Ministry of Health.
Rambarran expressed concern that some private hospitals may be referring patients late in order to avoid having the deaths recorded under their own statistics. “I honestly believe that private hospitals do this because the deaths don’t fall under their numbers; they come under ours,” he stated.
He confirmed that the issue has been raised with the Minister of Health and the GPHC Board, and said the hospital intends to review the criteria for attributing maternal deaths to ensure fair reporting across institutions.
According to Rambarran, most of the deaths recorded this year were due to indirect causes, including one case of poisoning and another involving head trauma. He revealed that several of the cases have been referred to the Medical Council for further examination.
“There are a lot of challenges, but we plan to have discussions with the private hospitals. That’s why I’ve forwarded some of these cases to the Medical Council—because some require intervention,” he added.
Rambarran further noted an increase in neonatal referrals, admissions, and deliveries at the hospital, but said the percentage of deaths remains relatively small when compared to the overall number of referrals and births.