Govt. to use IDB loan to help furnish hinterland maternity waiting homes

Mar 24, 2026 News

(Kaieteur News) – The government through the Ministry of Health will be using part of a US$97 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to furnish three new hinterland maternity waiting homes.

According to a recent invitation for bids issued by the ministry, the Guyana Government received financing from the IDB toward the Health Care Network Strengthening Programme in Guyana.

Under this project title, the supply and delivery of furnishing is for the maternity waiting homes at Moruca in Region One, Kato in Region Eight and Lethem in Region Nine.

As previously reported by the Health Ministry, waiting homes are being built to provide expectant mothers from remote communities with a safe and comfortable environment to stay both before and after delivery. Some features of such facilities would include consultation and examination rooms, as well as a fully equipped laundry area and kitchen, ensuring both medical care and day-to-day convenience are readily available.

Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony had noted the importance of maternal waiting homes close to hinterland hospitals, stating that it will help eliminate the challenges mothers from far-flung villages face.

During the commissioning ceremony of the maternity waiting home at Kumaka back in December, he noted the Government’s commitment to reducing maternal deaths nationwide, particularly in hinterland regions including Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine. The minister stated that, historically, pregnant women from remote villages often embarked on long and challenging journeys to hospitals only after labour had begun, sometimes resulting in deliveries en route and preventable complications.

“Most maternal deaths are preventable, and we must take deliberate actions to avoid them,” Dr. Anthony stated, emphasising the importance of early access to care.

To address this challenge, the ministry has been constructing Maternal Waiting Homes at interior hospitals. These facilities allow pregnant women, particularly those at risk or residing in remote areas, to travel to the hospital early, stay nearby, and access professional care when labour begins.

A number of these waiting homes have been constructed and commissioned in several hinterland communities. As it relates to the furnishing of the Lethem, Kato and Moruca maternity waiting homes, these facilities will complement the new state-of-the-art hospitals that are currently under construction in those communities. The construction of those hospitals is being funded through financing by the IDB and government. The US$97 million ID loan which is touted to strengthen the country’s health services was secured by the Guyana Government back in 2022.

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hinterland, IDB, loan, maternity, waiting homes

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