OCHO RIOS, St Ann — Jamaican health-care workers have given a ringing endorsement to the initiative of Sandals Resorts Executive Chairman Adam Stewart to extend complimentary vacations to 300 of their members across the Caribbean as recognition of their sterling efforts in combating the novel coronavirus.

“Nuff Respect”, “Grateful”, and “Truly appreciative” were some of the words used by many of the health-care professionals, who have already taken up their Sandals vacations, to express their appreciation to the luxury-included resort chain.

Ambulance operator Oliver Fraser, a 27-year veteran of the health-care system and stationed at Percy Junior Hospital, praised Stewart for the gesture and expressed gratitude to be able to exhale at Sandals South Coast.

“This is a really good gesture and one that is appreciated because the intensity of my job, especially when the pandemic hit and I had to transport more COVID-19 patients than I can count, had left me exhausted. So this has given me the opportunity to remove myself from the space, exhale, and not think about it,” said Fraser while describing his trip as amazing.

Johnell Whyte, radiographer at Savanna-La-Mar Public General Hospital who recently stayed at Beaches Negril, said: “I had the opportunity to vacation with my mom who needed a well-deserved break, along with my three-year-old son. My stay at Beaches Negril was amazing. We had tried to partake in as many of the amenities that the resort offered — from the frozen yogurt at YoYo’s to the Pirate Island Water Park. I thoroughly enjoyed the lazy river as this gave me the time to relax and to clear my headspace. The Kimonos restaurant for my family was a big deal; it was very interactive and even my son had a chance to engage in some of the activities during dinner.”

“In the health-care system, especially during this [novel coronavirus] pandemic, it has been really stressful and so this opportunity to relax and unwind was well needed and I got a chance to do just that for three days. Thanks to the Beaches Negril Resort! It was great being here and I look forward to coming back for my honeymoon in August,” added Whyte.

Samantha Gavin, a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Annotto Bay Hospital, noted that the holiday was one of her favourite appreciation gifts as a registered nurse to date.

“It’s truly great to feel appreciated; and all the staff I interacted with gave superb service, ensuring I felt appreciated for my service. A big thank you to Mr Adam Stewart and the entire Sandals team,” she said.

Further, Nurse Kimone Bartley of St Ann’s Bay Hospital was over the moon during her sojourn at Sandals Royal Caribbean, describing the gesture as “a tremendous initiative”. She lauded the resort team members for the outstanding service meted out to her, describing them as “courteous, gracious and professional”.

The health-care professional said her vacation was a much-needed one as the stress brought about by the constant exposure to COVID-19 patients was indeed a heavy burden. One aspect of her stay which gave her extra satisfaction was the vegetarian culinary fare at the resort.

“I was blown away by the many vegetarian options,” Bartley said. “At first I was worried because I am a vegetarian and wasn’t sure if I would have meal choices, but my fears were quickly allayed.”

Nurse Bartley added that she wanted to especially thank the resort’s General Manager Dawn Smith, who personally ensured that her stay was a luxury-included one by virtue of the special courtesies she extended.

Also singing Sandals’ praises was Nurse Claudia Jackson from Princess Margaret Hospital in St Thomas who vacationed at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort.

“It was my first trip to a Sandals property and it was excellent; the staff was wonderful and ensured we were happy. The food was great, the ambiance and everything was just perfect. There was so much to do but so little time to get it all done. I would definitely recommend Sandals Ochi Beach to anyone. I would like to thank everyone who made this possible, especially to [the] Sandals boss Mr Adam Stewart for initiating this incentive and for allowing us to be here,” Jackson said.

She added:“It was a good gesture and we appreciate it wholeheartedly. While we had our jobs and were working tirelessly during the pandemic with our fair share of challenges, and [were being] pushed to save lives each day and to make all patients as comfortable as possible, we were being watched and now… magnificently rewarded. Hats off to you, Mr Stewart — and I know my other colleagues who have received a similar opportunity will be grateful too.”