Civil status department brings birth registration closer to families |05 July 2025

Conducting a birth registration at the Seychelles Hospital

• Introduces new hospital-based service

The Civil Status department, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, has announced a new pilot initiative to extend its birth registration services directly to the Seychelles Hospital.

In a press release, the department said the move is part of its continued efforts to improve service delivery and bring essential services closer to the community.

Under the pilot project, birth registrations will still be carried out at the Civil Status Office in the mornings by appointment, while the Civil Status team will now be available three afternoons a week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – at the Maternity Ward of the Seychelles Hospital to conduct birth registrations on-site.

“However, it should be noted that this hospital-based service is currently limited to specific cases primarily for mothers who have undergone caesarean delivery or are undergoing substance abuse treatment,” explained the communique. In such cases, the Maternity Unit will provide the Civil Status department with a request list to facilitate the process.

“This initiative not only brings convenience to families in more vulnerable situations but is also expected to significantly reduce the incidence of late birth registrations often caused by medical or social challenges. We are working toward a more responsive and inclusive system that adapts to the real-life circumstances of our citizens,” said the chief civil status officer Mervin Laporte.

In these special cases, parents will receive their newborn’s birth certificate immediately upon registration at the hospital, eliminating the need for additional visits or delays. The initiative is currently being implemented as a pilot project, but the Civil Status department aims to establish it permanently in the near future, as part of a broader plan to modernise and humanise public service delivery.

Regular birth registrations will continue at the Civil Status Office in the mornings, strictly by appointment. Appointments can be made via the following contact numbers: 2821279, 2822521, or 4293606.

The Civil Status department has thanked the public and the Ministry of Health for their support and cooperation as it continues to improve and expand its services to better meet the needs of all Seychellois families.

Contributed