Single bid received to furnish hinterland maternity homes

May 01, 2026 News

(Kaieteur News) – The Ministry of Health has received just one bid to furnish maternity waiting homes in Guyana’s hinterland, a development that raises fresh questions about competition and value for money in publicly funded projects.

The lone bidder, Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc., submitted proposals across all three lots when tenders were opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

The ministry’s project which recently opened at the NPTAB office is divided into three lots. Furnishing is needed for the maternity waiting home at Moruca (Lot1), at Kato (Lot2), and at Lethem (Lot3).

Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc. the only bidder for the contract, bid the following: Lot1- $7,061,873; Lot2- $3,434,434; and Lot3 $1,987,669.

Kaieteur News had reported that the Ministry of Health will be using part of a US$97 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank under the Health Care Network Strengthening Programme in Guyana to furnish three new hinterland maternity waiting homes.

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 enroute 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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furnish, hinterland maternity homes, maternity homes, NPTAB

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