Glowing tributes were paid to nurses in the twin-isle parish of Carriacou and Petite Martinique as nurses across the globe celebrated International Nurses’ Day on 12 May.
Minister for Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs & Local Government, Hon. Kindra Maturine-Stewart, says she admires the dedication and commitment of nurses to providing the best healthcare possible to all citizens.
The Minister made the comments at a special ceremony to mark International Nurses’ Day, which was held under the theme “Nurses a Voice to Lead, a Vision for Future Healthcare”
One of the issues confronting the health sector here for many years has been the transportation of patients to Grenada via the ferry service. However, Minister Maturine-Stewart says this is now a thing of the past as a sickbay has been set up that makes transferring patients to Grenada more comfortable and also provides some measure of privacy. The setup of the sickbay was made possible through cooperation between the operators of the Osprey Express and the Government of Grenada.
Another speaker at the event was former Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs Bernadette Lendore-Sylvester. She made reference to the story of the Good Samaritan and reminded the nurse practitioners that nursing is a vocation. Nurses must love the work that they do and do it with “dignity and respect,” Lendore-Sylvester said.
Matron Therese Hamlet, who has given 36 years of service to the nursing profession, also delivered brief remarks. Although nurses are faced with several challenges in getting their work done, Hamlet promised that they will continue to play a critical role in saving lives.
At the event, nurses also were presented with certificates as a token of appreciation for their service. Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Local Government, Javan Williams, also celebrated the day with the nurses.
GIS