Dr. Terrence Campbell, lead parliamentarian for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), has renewed calls for urgent reform in Guyana’s healthcare system, citing a series of recent tragedies that he says reflect systemic failures and widespread neglect.
In a letter published Sunday in Village Voice News, Campbell highlighted the cases of Nerissa Chetram and Euronica Andrews. Nerissa, a high-risk patient at Georgetown Public Hospital, endured twelve hours of labor that ended in the loss of both her baby and womb on November 8, 2025.
“This outcome may have been avoided with timely intervention such as a caesarean section,” Campbell wrote. On December 12, 2025, Euronica Andrews lost her sixteen-year-old daughter, Onessia, after repeated pleas for better care went unanswered at both the Enmore Regional Hospital and Georgetown Public Hospital.
Campbell also cited additional incidents he says underscore a pattern of neglect. “On January 1st, 2026, a thirty-year-old man at the Bartica Regional Hospital, suffering from a severed vein, was left without proper treatment for over an hour due to the inexperience of medical staff,” he wrote. He also noted reports from TikToker @trishbassant, who said she was unable to obtain care for her daughter at Diamond Regional Hospital. “These cases illustrate a concerning pattern of neglect in our healthcare system,” Campbell said.
The lawmaker criticised Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony for failing to deliver on previous promises to conduct clinical audits and improve adherence to medical guidelines. “It is imperative that the Minister treat this ongoing crisis as a matter of utmost urgency… The Minister needs to understand that our citizens deserve a healthcare system that prioritises their safety and that he will be held accountable for continuous failures,” Campbell wrote.
Campbell has previously raised concerns over other high-profile cases, including the deaths of Deandre Prashad in September 2025 and Latoya Griffith in November 2025. In those instances, he cited failures in following established protocols and inadequate preoperative care, urging the Ministry to disclose corrective actions and implement training initiatives to strengthen medical compliance.
Experts say Guyana’s health system continues to lag behind regional peers. According to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Guyana ranks 126th out of 195 countries and next-to-last in the Caribbean for access to quality care, ahead of only Haiti.
Guyama has approximately 1.6 hospital beds, 0.8 doctors, and 1.0 nurses per 1,000 people, compared with Latin American averages of 2.2 beds, 2.0 doctors, and 2.8 nurses per 1,000. Shortages are often most severe in rural and interior areas, leaving indigenous and remote communities with limited access to essential services.
These gaps contribute to Guyana’s elevated child and maternal mortality rates. The under-five mortality rate is around 18 deaths per 1,000 live births, with infant mortality near 24 per 1,000, while maternal deaths remain high at an estimated 75 per 100,000 births in 2023.
Public health experts note that limited infrastructure, workforce shortages, and inconsistent adherence to clinical protocols exacerbate risks for mothers and children.
Campbell concluded, “It is essential that we address these issues head-on to prevent further loss of life and suffering in our communities,” emphasising the need for immediate, actionable reforms across the country’s hospitals and clinics.
