The complement of nurses in the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) has been bolstered with the addition of some 47 graduate nurses this year. One public health inspector has also been employed.

A two-day orientation exercise for the new nurses began at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in St. James on Tuesday.

Presenters at the orientation included Acting Regional Director of the WRHA, Dr. Alexander Konstantinov; Training Develop-ment and Recruitment Manager, Jacqueline Martin-Hall; Personnel and Industrial Relations Manager, Celia Huggan; Regional Health Promotion/Education Officer, Michael Kington, and In-service Education Officer at the CRH, Marlene Marsh-Robinson.

Following the exercise, 22 registered nurses and eight enrolled assistant nurses are to be posted at the CRH; seven will be placed in the parish of Westmoreland; four will be sent to Trelawny, while Hanover will receive three registered nurses and two enrolled assistant nurses. Hanover will also get the public health inspector.

Positive trend

Addressing the orientation ceremony, Dr. Konstantinov expressed delight that the nurses were joining the WRHA.

He said that, while primary and secondary health care were important, emphasis must now be placed on preventive care and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

There are four hospitals and 83 health centres within the WRHA, which covers the parishes of St. James, Hanover, Trelawny and Westmoreland. They serve a combined population of approximately 450,000 persons.