$6.6B Bath Hospital must deliver more than ‘grand ceremonies’ – Opposition Leader says

Aug 17, 2026 News

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…as four infants die in three months

By Shermon Hawker

(Kaieteur News) – Nearly a year after the $6.6 billion Bath Regional Hospital was commissioned as a modern healthcare facility for Region Five, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed is demanding answers over the deaths of four infants at the institution, noting that state-of-the-art infrastructure must be matched by the resources, expertise and systems needed to save lives.

Mohamed’s criticism follows reports of the infant deaths, including the recent case involving a woman identified as Karishma.

In a video shared by Mohamed, Karishma said she was admitted to the hospital on 19^th July and was informed that she would have to undergo a Caesarean section.

“Around 5:30, I start passing sign. My baby was moving healthy and everything. My husband get a car and take me to Bath Regional Hospital…they had me on the bed, I was bleeding,” she recounted.

She said she later experienced severe pain and was examined through an ultrasound.

Karishma also alleged that she had a previous disagreement with a midwife at the hospital and claimed the same midwife was on duty when she was admitted.

According to her, the midwife made a remark about a previous complaint she had made before walking away from her bedside.

“I just hold her hand, I said ‘ma’am, please, ah begging yuh, please save me and my baby,’” she recounted.

Karishma said she was later given medication in preparation for the C-section and lost consciousness. Upon waking the following day, she said she asked about her baby but received no satisfactory response from nurses or doctors.

She said a cleaner eventually informed the family privately that the baby had died.

According to Karishma, her family subsequently had to plead to see the child in the morgue. She described the condition of the baby as deeply distressing.

“The baby whole face here (gesturing to nose and below) bruise out and was bleeding. The baby neck was going around, my baby had a big black-and-blue mark on her shoulder, and the baby head was squeezed in and black,” she said.

Karishma said her brother-in-law’s persistence eventually prompted the doctor who had treated her to provide an explanation.

“He say that the baby died inside of me because the placenta separate from the baby,” she recounted.

Karishma, however, maintained that she had felt the baby moving and had repeatedly told medical staff that she believed the child was still active.

Mohamed, who met with Karishma and the child’s father, questioned whether the investment in the hospital had translated into improved healthcare delivery.

“The government rushed to open and showcase this hospital to the people of Region Five as a symbol of modern, improved healthcare. We called it what it was – an election time vote-buying tactic,” he said.

He said grand openings and modern infrastructure alone cannot guarantee quality healthcare, stressing the need for specialists, equipment and adequate support systems capable of saving lives.

Mohamed said he was aware of four babies who died under complex maternal circumstances at the facility.

In addition to Karishma’s case, he identified Emily Singh, 24, and Rictecia Semple, 24, as among those whose cases he was highlighting, along with another woman whose identity was not disclosed. The reported deaths occurred between June and August 2026.

Mohamed asserted that there may have been additional cases and said he would continue publicising such matters as information becomes available.

Hospital Pushes Back

Meanwhile, the Bath Regional Hospital said it rejected attempts to turn grief into unsupported allegations.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the hospital said the opposition leader is free to ask questions but cautioned against generating “false narratives” from the grief of affected families.

It urged that “facts go before politics, and evidence before accusation.”

“The suggestion that an infant death automatically proves negligence or inadequate care is medically irresponsible. Each case must be assessed on its individual clinical circumstances and evidence. Following these deaths, families were engaged, medical findings were explained and, where appropriate, post-mortem examinations were conducted. In some cases, families declined post-mortem examinations despite being advised of their importance in determining the cause of death,”  the medical facility stated.

The facility encouraged anyone interested in establishing the facts to seek clinical reviews, examination of medical records and appropriate investigations.

The hospital emphasised that its healthcare workers are not immune to scrutiny, but should also be afforded fairness. According to the statement, patients should not be led to fear and distrust the institution they depend on for medical care. Additionally, it stated that persons with concerns are fully accommodated.

“Families with concerns should have those concerns heard and properly investigated,” the hospital stated. It said patients and relatives have been invited to engage management so that relevant medical information can be reviewed and appropriate explanations provided.

The Bath Regional Hospital was constructed at a cost of approximately $6.6 billion and was officially commissioned by President Irfaan Ali in July 2025.

The hospital disclosed that 314 babies have been delivered at the facility since it opened.

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• Azruddin Mohamed, Bath Hospital, grand ceremonies, Infants

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