Junor THE KINGSTON Public and Victoria Jubilee hospitals (KPH/VJH) honoured 350 staff members, who worked tirelessly during the civil unrest in sections of the island in July, on Friday.
Between July 7 and 8 especially, the workers overcame fear and worked long hours despite the gunfire involving gunmen from West Kingston and members of the security forces.
At the end of the confrontation and two more days of roadblocks in various areas in the Corporate Area and outlying parishes, 27 people lay dead and over 40 were injured.
Memories of that weekend still live on in the minds of awardees like staff bus driver Alrick Whitely. He had been picking up workers who were not pinned down in their homes.
"We came under fire going to Spanish town, near to the Spanish Town hospital," he said. "Also roadblock. We haffi turn back and go on the bypass and go through a little road that drive by the bypass. We go down another block and a little road (but) we had to turn back again, go back pan de highway and drive back again and take the round-about- from that side," said the 55-year-old father of 11.
"It was fear in mi mind, but I'm always on the lookout you know. We get a clear road by Central Village but debris was on the side. Mi family feel ah way but you done know is just my work so we had fi just do it. Mi wife (Janet) she never cried, but she always praying for me," he said, clutching a special plaque given to him for his dedication.
Thirty-year nursing veteran and VJH Matron, Lola Wallace also relived the terror.
"On one ward which is close to Rose Lane, I saw them (staff) in the corridor with the patients sitting on the bench beside them and everybody was in tears, literally nervous wrecks," she said, adding that the unrest forced her to close two wards, arrange to send home or remove pregnant patients and forced her staff to work double shifts.
"In the night (Sunday) a bullet came through one of our windows, over a patient's bed. I had three nurses who didn't turn up (and) another one who was in tears one morning. She just cried and cried. She really was very depressed (but) she is still here, still working with us," said Matron Wallace.
Some staff members still needed counselling, she said, and a psychiatrist is now available for the staff. They will also benefit from a counselling service to be established by the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) next year, according to Minister of Health, John Junor.
In addition, health care workers at KPH, VJH and other hospitals are to benefit from a clinic which will treat health care workers only in the new year, he said.
The idea of the staff clinic, which will see health workers getting support and less waiting time, stemmed from complaints by health workers that they enjoy no special benefits under the health system.
"We feel that there ought to be a special clinic established, you know. Maybe three or four days per week where staff members from not just KPH but the south east region would be able to access medical care," Mr. Junor said. He told The Gleaner that he hoped to have a system in place by latest February and was looking at whether staff could get additional support once medical costs reach beyond what is covered by health insurance.
He said implementing the system will cost the Health Ministry little, because existing infrastructure will be used. "What you are doing is reassigning staff for a couple of hours. Not every clinic is used everyday so you can rotate," he said.
