Dear Editor,

As someone who has long been in tune with mental health and as a mother of a daughter who has lived with mental illness and has been in and out of both the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and Bellevue Hospital for over a decade, I read the Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton’s recent comments about changing Bellevue’s name with mixed emotions.

With the utmost respect, Minister, I believe the focus is misplaced. What Bellevue needs now is not a new name but real investment and national acknowledgement of the extraordinary transformation that has taken place, often quietly and against all odds.

Over the past four years Bellevue has evolved into something many Jamaicans would hardly recognise. It has become a place of healing, education, and dignity. The stigma that once surrounded its name has been challenged, not through rebranding, but through consistent leadership, advocacy, and action.

I have witnessed this transformation first-hand. The hospital’s management and staff have worked tirelessly to change public perception, engage communities, and create new opportunities for patients. Oo Park, a beautiful therapeutic space designed for reflection, art, and recreation, stands as a testament to that change. It’s one of many initiatives that show Bellevue’s commitment to holistic wellness, not just treatment.

Over the years Bellevue has launched continuous public education campaigns on mental health, stigma, and recovery, reaching tens of thousands of Jamaicans through social media, community outreach, and partnerships. For at least the past three years its online presence has been a consistent source of knowledge and hope, unmatched by any other specialist hospital in Jamaica.

The results speak for themselves:

• Increased public confidence: Professionals and high-profile individuals now openly support or visit Bellevue

• Expanded partnerships with universities, non-governmental organisations, and wellness advocates

• Cultural and creative engagement through events that humanise mental health

• Recognition at the international level, with the CEO receiving an award for her contribution to mental health advocacy and service from Australia. The name Bellevue being called in Australia on a podium, and they weren’t talking about the one in New York.

• Introduction of more specialised services by a team with vision

Yet, despite these achievements, not once have I heard Minister Tufton publicly acknowledge this historic turnaround. That silence is disheartening, because I know what the old Bellevue was like. Now they are seen farming and dancing to music blaring from speaker boxes in the Oo Park and being read to from the Oo Park library by their nurses.

The Bellevue of today is not the “mad house” of old. It is a model of resilience and reform achieved largely through the advocacy of its CEO, Suzette Buchanan, and board, with minimal financial support. Imagine what this 164-year-old hospital could become with even a fraction of the investment channelled into Cornwall Regional Hospital.

I know, because I’ve seen the difference in my own daughter’s experience. During her last episode she specifically asked to go to Bellevue. Not UHWI, Bellevue. To me that says everything. The name isn’t the problem anymore. The institution has outgrown the stigma.

So before we rename Bellevue, let’s repair it, resource it, and recognise it. Give this team its roses for what it has achieved, often without help. They have already done the hard part, changing minds. Now it’s time for the Government to match that effort with action, not just talk.

Loren Barrett

lorlov92@gmail.com