First three New Year's babies born at San Fernando hospital

JUST six seconds into 2021, a woman at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) delivered this country’s first New Year’s Day baby.

Asha Dookie delivered a boy at 12.06 am who weighed 2.73 kilogrammes on Friday.

Health Minister Terrence Delaysingh made the announcement at a press conference on Friday at the nearby Teaching Hospital where he congratulated the mothers on their bundles of joy.

Owing to the pandemic, media personnel were not allowed to meet the mothers and their newborns at the maternity ward as is traditionally done.

This country’s second and third babies also came from San Fernando General Hospital. At 1.45 am, Kerlise Farraday gave birth to a girl weighing 2.8 kilogrammes, and at 2.49 am, Jacinta Williams gave birth to a boy. He weighed 3.8 kilogrammes.

Up to midday, there were three births at the hospital.

Jokingly, Deyalsingh said the hosptial "came in first," beating the other regional health authorities.

He said, "San Fernando got one, two, and three. Well done."

"What a year 2020 has been. With these new bundles of joy, I think 2021 will be a better year than 2020."

The Health Ministry later issued a media release with photos of the Deyalsingh’s visit to the maternity ward at the hospital. It said he greeted three new mothers to this country’s first three New Year’s Day babies.

At the press conference, Deyalsingh said three women, Alleah Burke, 20, Shakera Jerry, 18, and Naomi Cedeno,17, each gave birth to a female at 3.08 am, 3.39 am and 4.52 am, respectively.

At Sangre Grande Hospital, Shinneil Mahabir, 24, delivered a girl at 9.08 am.

Port of Spain General Hospital had three girls. Dallyah Wallace gave birth at 3.26 am, Selene Yearwood at 4.16 am and Shannon Beharry-Holder at 5.38 am.

Of the ten newborns, only two were males.