The Government is pushing for the upskilling of healthcare workers with an annual scholarship fund of $75 million, according to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan.
The Permanent Secretary, who represented portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, at the Health care Workers Appreciation Month National Church Service on July 21, at the Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in St. Andrew, said it is “our duty to support them and to offer our gratitude in actions”.
“We are seized with the urgency to do so, to ensure that our healthcare workers have what they need to perform at their optimum, which includes training and educational opportunities,” Mr. Bryan said.
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The event was held under the theme ‘Honoring Commitment, Service and Sacrifice’. Mr. Bryan said the commitment to preserve the lives of others, and alleviating suffering, is “nothing short of heroic, and we must recognize that they (healthcare workers) are also humans carrying the weight of their own experiences”.
The Ministry has commenced discussions with the Principal of the University of the West Indies and key personnel, and other institutions of training, on the upskilling of healthcare workers, focusing on options for enhanced training and retention. It will be doing the same with the Health Councils – Nursing and Medical – that govern the profession.
Mr. Bryan said that throughout the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s healthcare workers were steadfast in carrying out their duty to the people, and stood as “beacons of service, sacrifice and healing”.
“These workers have, and continue to work tirelessly, often at great personal risk, to ensure that the sick is cared for, while providing support to communities,” the Permanent Secretary said.
Healthcare Workers Appreciation Month is a time dedicated to recognizing and honoring the contributions of healthcare workers.
Source: The Jamaica Information Service.
