MORANT BAY, St Thomas — As it marks its 67th anniversary Princess Margaret Hospital is making a special effort to recognise the role of its 325 health-care workers who play a vital role in the medical facility’s ability to care for hundreds of thousands of patients.

“The hospital has been around for 67 years and during this period we have seen growth in the capacity in human resource, equipment and quality and quantity of service that we provide to the citizens of this parish. On average we serve approximately 120,000 from the parishes of St Thomas, mainly, [as well as] eastern St Andrew and eastern Portland,” said hospital CEO Melecia Linton.

“With approximately 325 staff we have been able to provide quality service and that is why we are celebrating our health-care workers during this period,” she added.

Director of Nursing Services Nadine Anderson Lawrence is among those who have vowed to continue pushing to ensure the institution performs optimally.

“My time is well pent so far and my duty is to ensure that the nursing department is operating at its best,” she said.

She is just one example of what the CEO has described as the resilience, commitment and determination exhibited by staff over the last two years as the hospital faced an unprecedented crisis stemming from the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“We are celebrating all our health-care workers who have given service above self and have gone beyond the call of duty to ensure that patients with respiratory symptoms were given the best care, recovered and returned to their respective homes,” Linton said.

The clinical staff, nursing and senior management teams continue to pool their efforts to ensure that the hospital continues to meet its mandate. There have also been gains made in terms of the hospital’s resources.

“Since the onset of COVID-19 we have added approximately 33 additional beds solely for the management of suspected cases as well as confirmed COVID-19 patients. We have also partnered with non-governmental organisations to receive needed equipment to ensure that we enhance and optimise the quality of care that we provide,” explained the CEO.

According to Acting Senior Medical Officer Dr Dwight Whittle, the hospital has been putting in place strategies and plans to improve patient interaction.

“Over the years we have been trying to improve the services that we offer. We have employed more doctors, and even doctors in specialised areas, to offer health-care services,” he said.

“It has been at a slow pace but gradually improving with the support of the hospital administration and the Government of Jamaica. We hope that it will continue to improve over time,” Dr Whittle added.

Among the initiatives being banked on to improve patient experience is the “Family Conference” where patients’ relatives may schedule appointments with doctors and nurses to discuss care management and matters concerning their loved ones. The initiative came on stream in January 2022.

“Persons will now have access to a facility where they can [access] information. This is a structured system. To book an appointment, persons can visit the medical records department,” Dr Whittle explained.

Sessions are scheduled for time slots that are mutually convenient for doctor, patient and family members. Discussions provide detailed updates about the patient and how best he or she may receive support.

In another move aimed at improving the quality of service it provides, the hospital has set up three new areas to facilitate patients with respiratory illnesses: an isolation unit within the accident and emergency department, a COVID-19 ward, and a respiratory ward. Their long-term goal is to become the number one hospital in Jamaica.

For now the festivities continue as the hospital marks its 67th anniversary, which began on March 1 with a day of motivational speeches aimed at empowering and celebrating the staff, trivia sessions, giveaways and a celebratory lunch.

— Ashagaye Mullings