In her early years Olivia Sharpe was afraid of hospitals. However, for the past 20 years, she has been impacting the lives of many as an employee at the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital.

She told the Jamaica Observer that over the years she has worked with five chief executive officers, representing the number of times that the hospital has changed leadership.

It was after being admitted to the hospital over 20 years ago that Sharpe knew she wanted to work at the institution.

“I came to the doctor one day and I was sitting and waiting for a long time, fed up and want to leave,” the chief orderly, who supervises the porters at the hospital, recalled.

While waiting to see the doctor, Sharpe fainted and had to be admitted at the facility. It was during that time that she decided she wanted to do more to help persons who had to seek medical attention at the facility.

She then applied for the position of porter and, at the same time, she also applied to work at a hotel.

Sharpe recalled the day when a telegram was deliverd at her home bringing good news.

She said her first indication that she would receive good news was the day’s horoscope audio.

“I use to get up and listen to starscope, which some say is superstition,” she said.

“Something is in the air for you and you will benefit from it,” Sharpe recalled the day’s recording of predictions under her birth sign.

She said that a telegram came with two letters, both job interview offers.

“I said alright I am going to tackle them both,” Sharpe said.

After doing both interviews, she was offered a job by the hospital and the hotel.  

“I do the interview and I say anyone call me, I will go. The two places wanted me. I didn’t know which one to choose so I ask God to show me,” she stated.

After much deliberation, she chose the hospital, a decision she has not regretted.

She admitted to choosing the job at the hospital because it seemed more economical at the time, since she lived in the St Ann’s Bay area.

Sharpe said she started her job as a porter without much fanfare, but she was determined to do it. She said her spouse was not in agreement “with her handling the dead and coming home to prepare his meals.

“I said to him, ‘just give me one year make mi try it and if I don’t like it, I will stop’,” she said.

Sharpe remembers clearly her first day on the job when she took three bodies to the morgue.

“After orientation, my first duty was to take a body to the morgue,” she revealed.

Although, in her estimation it appeared like a deliberate attempt to scare her, Sharpe was determined to succeed as the first and only woman porter working then.

Even when others questioned the reason she was the one being sent to the morgue on three occasions, she continued working.

“I said, I am here to work. If he says I am going to the morgue, I am going. I am not afraid,” she stated.

Having dealt with three bodies on her first day at work, Sharpe said she went home, prepared her spouse’s dinner and even made him aware that she went to the morgue three times.

“He said, ‘no problem’, and no longer opposed my job,” she said.

Sharpe developed a love for her job which has seen her remain in it all these years. Even faced with illness, Sharpe is not giving up the fight. “I have no regrets, if I could I would work as a porter again,” she said.

“I love the Accident and Emergency Department and the outpatient and ambulance area. I liked to be on the go at all times, assisting patients as best as I  can and those are my areas, I love to be moving. I just like to help people and see that things go right. When things not going my way I am really upset,” she stated.

Sharpe said that when faced with illness in 2007, she thought of resigning, but was encouraged to stay by the Senior Medical Officer. She was soon promoted to the position of chief orderly, supervising 37 porters at the health facility.

It is the drive to provide quality service which has helped her to remain focused even when she faced opposition.

While many may not recognise the importance of the porter at the hospital, Sharp pointed out that duties are more than taking the dead to the morgue. She said that porters have big responsibilities and that they are an important part of the health care process.

“The porters are the first responders. Whenever a patient comes, the porter responds before the doctor. You can hardly find something here that does not involve a porter,” she said.

Although fully dedicated to her job over the years, Sharpe was also a sportswoman for the hospital. The former student of the St Ann’s Bay Secondary High School (now Marcus Garvey Technical High School) played netball, cricket and football for the hospital.

Sharpe, who also enjoys cooking, worked at the Seville Great House as a cook before she was employed at the hospital. This was a job she enjoyed as she served many great researchers from universities across the world.

Still plagued by illness, Sharpe is now planning to go on early retirement. However, in the meantime, she continues to give of her best to those she serves.

Her co-workers praised her for her dedicated years of service to the hospital.

Popularly known as “KK”, Sharpe is described as a hard working and dedicated staff member who cares about everyone and not just those whom she supervises.

“She always has an interest in the staff,” one employee at the hospital stated.

“She is jovial, kind and always helping people,” another said.

It is this love and care for others which many times leads to Sharpe giving her own money to elderly patients who come to see the doctor.

“I don’t know why their younger family will not follow them. I will take my money and buy and let them eat, even if I don’t have any lunch after,” she said, insisting that she cannot stand by and watch elderly and hungry persons waiting.

She is also admired by staff for always being “well attired” for work.

One went as far as saying, “She always sharp in keeping with her name.”