Dear Editor,

Please permit me to express thanks and appreciation to the hard-working nurses and doctors.

Whether early morning, late night, double shifts, holidays, opening and closing wounds and making life and death decisions are the daily routine of doctors, nurses and other professionals in the medical field. After years of studying and sleepless nights for doctors and nurses the real work begins when patients writhing in agony and crying out, “Nurse! Nurse!”

The situation seems further gloomy when the nurse is on a double shift and the facility is short-staffed and overcrowded.

Crime, reckless driving and bad health habits make the work of medical practitioners insurmountable and overwhelming. The lack of medical supplies and equipment that they need to do their job of saving lives exacerbate the state of affairs.

The medical practitioners deserve much more than the ‘stipend’ given at the end of the month. There are no big celebrations on doctors’ and nurses’ day each year, compared to Mother’s Day and Teachers’ Day. In fact, most people don’t know if there is even a doctors’ and nurses’ day celebrated around the world annually.

Doctors and nurses are humans with tough jobs. They are more than deserving of praise, commendations and comfortable remuneration packages. I salute all the medical practitioners, whether from the public or private sector. Thank you for offering yourself to the people of Jamaica. Thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty for that one child, man, or woman who was crying out, “Nurse!” You should all be marching up on Heroes’ Day for medals.

Hezekan Bolton

h_e_z_e@hotmail.com