Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) welcomed five new lives on Christmas Day, bringing joy to families and staff as essential healthcare services continued uninterrupted. The newborns, including two girls and three boys, were delivered earlier in the day, with hospital officials noting that more births were expected throughout the holiday.
First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali visited the maternity and paediatric wards, distributing care packages and hampers, and announcing that toys would also be provided to children receiving care. She described her visit as a reflection of the season’s true spirit, spreading love, hope, and compassion.
“Christmas is a time for family, but today we are extending our love to our extended family, spreading compassion, hope and joy,” Mrs. Ali said. She also thanked corporate partners—including Massy Distribution, Haliborange, BPI, J’s Group of Companies, and Sleepy—for supporting the initiative and giving back to the community, while sending festive greetings to patients, healthcare workers, and their loved ones.
GPHC’s Chief Executive Officer, Robbie Rambarran, acknowledged the unique challenges faced by hospital staff during the holidays. “While we would all prefer to be home with our families, it is a true honour and privilege to be here serving people when they need us most,” he said. He added that several infants were receiving care in the neonatal and postnatal wards, while patients continued to be treated in the paediatric unit.
The Christmas Day celebration comes amid a broader trend in Guyana’s birth statistics. Over the past five years, the country’s birth rate has steadily declined, with the crude birth rate falling from approximately 20.96 per 1,000 people in 2021 to an estimated 18.26 in 2025. Registered births also dropped significantly, from roughly 15,301 in 2021 to 12,681 in 2024—a nearly 20% decrease.
While crude birth rates primarily track live births, Guyana’s civil registration system also records stillbirths, which are usually reported separately in vital statistics and health surveys. The country’s infant mortality rate, measuring deaths per 1,000 live births before age one, was estimated at 23.8 in 2023. These figures highlight both the declining birth trend and ongoing public health challenges, underscoring the importance of continued investment in maternal and child healthcare.
