Tufton places spotlight on healthcare workers’ welfare

The Government is moving to improve the welfare of healthcare workers, says Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton, who yesterday contended that the well-being of medical staff is directly linked to the quality of service provided at health facilities.

Speaking during the unveiling of the Carol Picart Courtyard at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in downtown Kingston, Tufton lamented the stress that healthcare workers often undergo from working under high pressure.

“Sometimes we're treated … almost as robots, because there's a view that we must understand everything and accept everything, whether it's abuse, fear, expression of anxiety, mental health-related issues, and it is a feature of the healthcare environment,” he said.

The minister said facilities like the Carol Picart Court, an outdoor area designed as a wellness and relaxation space where healthcare workers can take moments in the day to relax and recharge, will become a feature of healthcare facilities islandwide.

“Today's unveiling should no longer be an exceptional event, as exceptional as this is. It should be a normal part of how we build out the ecosystem to provide service in the context of hospital and healthcare infrastructure, to support the high-pressure environment, the mental health of those who work within these walls, and, indeed, to allow them to optimise the level of service that they give,” he said.

Declaring that “motivation is derived from providing the environment to motivate”, he said healthcare administrations have been charged to ensure that the proper systems and accountability frameworks are in place to cater to staff satisfaction.

“I’ve given instructions that every hospital must have an adequate staff lounge for the staff when they work, particularly those working 24-hour shifts,” he said. “And I intend to enforce it, and inspect and to hold management accountable for it.”

He said he has also given the directive for hospitals to have a 24-hour eatery for staff to access.

“Too many of our nurses and doctors have complained that they have to work all night and then have to go on the road to find something to eat, even a cup of tea or a little soup or sandwich, or some of them have to go in their cars to rest because there is no lounge.

“If you treat your staff that way, management, you’re not going to expect them to give the best possible care,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kathleen Cooper Brown, acting chief executive officer at the Victoria Jubilee, said the courtyard is an investment in the well-being of the staff, who she described as the heartbeat of the hospital.

“As a leading maternal and neonatal institution, the Victor Jubilee Hospital is a place where life begins, hope is renewed, and countless moments of joy and resilience unfold daily. While our healthcare professionals dedicate themselves to caring for others, it is equally important that we create environments that care for them, too,” she said.

The courtyard was developed under the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Compassionate Care Programme and donated by the Mia Sarka Foundation. It features landscaped outdoor seating areas with a gazebo, as well as indoor lounges equipped with air conditioning and other modern social amenities.

Picart, who is a Jamaica-born physician assistant and founder of Mia Sarka Foundation, stressed the importance of providing mental health support for healthcare workers as they deal with the pressures of work and family.

“We created this little oasis where, hopefully, you can find some stress-free time to re-energise yourself as you move through the corridors and as you move through your day,” she said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com