Care for caregivers

Two hundred and thirty-five employees of the North East Regional Health Authority (NERHA) have been honoured for excelling in their duties, based on the results of the Performance Management Appraisal System (PMAS) for 2025-2026.

The workers, the vast majority of whom are women, each scored 95 per cent or above in the assessments to qualify for awards, which were presented at the PMAS Excellence Awards and Luncheon at the Louis Grant Conference Centre at Sandals Dunn’s River last weekend.

Portland, St Mary and St Ann are the parishes that fall within NERHA’s region, with the authority employing approximately 2,000 workers.

Workers who spoke with The Gleaner after receiving their awards expressed delight at being recognised for their work.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, in presenting the keynote address, hailed the resilience of health workers across Jamaica who have faced relentless and unprecedented challenges during the 10 years he has been in the position.

Some of these challenges he identified were the COVID-19 pandemic, a dengue outbreak, the shutdown of the Cornwall Regional Hospital and its ripple effect, and a Category 5 hurricane.

“We‘ve seen challenges we’ve never seen before and the people who have been the consistent responders to that are healthcare workers, in the first instance. We’ve been victims and we’ve had to provide support and the solution,” Tufton noted.

“And the fact that we’re here to witness overcoming those challenges, substantially, is a testament for how resilient we have been and the efforts and the commitment that has to be placed on getting the job done as a healthcare worker.”

Tufton said more time needs to be spent recognising and celebrating excellence.

‘Take care of yourself

Guest speaker Pastor Omar Z.D. Oliphant, in a spirited presentation, drew several rounds of applause as he encouraged workers to take care of themselves even as they excel in their jobs.

“Take care of yourself, learn to love yourself,” Oliphant, who is a senior pastor, lawyer, leadership coach, and motivational speaker, urged the awardees.

“Learn fi fix up yourself for yourself, take yourself out, have a little day off; learn to take care of yourself,” he suggested.

“So the fact that you’re so good at passing the PMAS, meeting the KPIs and meeting the targets does not mean you must not pass your own self-test. Yuh mustn’t look ‘pop down’ and mash up and bruk-up. You must look good, you must smell good, you must treat yourself good,” Oliphant told the group, to much applause.

Meanwhile, NERHA’s Regional Director, Fabia Lamm, while admitting that the healthcare system is under strain, thanked the workers for their commitment to their profession.

“Thank you to our healthcare professionals who go above and beyond the call of duty every single day. We are not just celebrating hard work, we are celebrating measurable excellence,” Lamm said.

“Let us be completely honest about the realities we face as healthcare professionals. Currently, our healthcare system is under significant scrutiny and strain. We face increasing public demand, unreasonable expectations, and subpar working conditions.

“At times, we even face unacceptable behaviours from those we serve, and yes, some of us have fallen short of providing optimal service to those we serve; no one in this room, I am sure. That is exactly why today matters so much. In an environment calling for greater accountability and better service delivery...you rose to the top. It is, therefore, imperative that we pause to recognise and reward those who continue to excel despite these intense challenges,” Lamm stated.

carl.gilchrist@gleanerjm.com