High Demand for Maternity Services at Savanna-La-Mar Hospital

There continues to be a high demand for maternity services at the Savanna-La-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland with deliveries averaging approximately 2500 per year, says Senior Medical Officer at the facility, Dr. Suman Vemu.

He noted that the number has fluctuated between 2000 and 2400 for the past four years but “not a major decline.”

He said that the hospital experiences seasonal increases in deliveries, particularly towards the end of the year.

“We always call it crop season… close to December where we always see a high number of deliveries… so the situation is dynamic,” he said.

Dr. Vemu was speaking at the recent handover of 200 receiving blankets to the maternity ward by the United States (US)-based charity Support Your Girlfriends, at the hospital in Westmoreland.

He welcomed the donation, noting that such contributions support the hospital’s ability to respond effectively to patients.

The Senior Medical Officer highlighted additional needs to strengthen maternity care such as cardiotocograph (CTG) machines, compression devices and vital cardiac monitors.

For her part, Deputy Director of Nursing Services at the facility, Petunia Leslie Blair, noted that the contribution will benefit mothers who present without essential items.

“Some mothers do come in at times as emergencies and do not have the necessary things that they need to receive a baby into the world, so this is really an appreciated act,” she said.

“We really thank you from the bottom of our hearts… it will be well appreciated by the mothers and also by the nurses who work in the department,” she said.