President of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) Patsy Edwards-Henry got her proverbial baptism by fire when COVID-19 first reached the island in March 2020, by virtue of her association with Patient Zero. The Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife and Departmental Nurse Manager at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) served on the front lines with her staff in dealing with the...

When Mitzie Pickersgill received what many before her had considered a terrifying request from the Ministry of Health, she accepted the challenge without hesitation. The call came from the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA). It was an invitation to the trained Practical Nurse to join the response team in Bull Bay, St Andrew, following the discovery of the first...

Chief Education Officer (Acting) in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Dr Kasan Troupe, has applauded bauxite and alumina company, Jamalco, for continuing with its annual scholarship programme, despite suffering a major fire last September. For this academic year, 70 students across Clarendon and Manchester received scholarships and grants from the company totalling $10 million. The awards were presented in...

Like all nations, Jamaica has seen its fair share of changes and successes in its 60 years as an independent country. One of the most intriguing changes is that of the currency. If one should take a sample of the notes or coins used over the course of the six decades, it would give an insightful and historical picture of...

Growing up, Kamol Williams wanted nothing more than to enhance his country’s healthcare system while simultaneously pursuing a career in technology. Uncertain of how he could merge his two passions, Mr. Williams was compelled to put aside his aspirations of venturing into the healthcare system. In 2017, he graduated from the University of the West Indies with a bachelor’s degree...

As a child, Nicola Wisdom-Jarrett never dreamed of becoming a Medical Technologist. She wanted to study medicine because she had a strong desire to help others. However, when the funds to pay for her tuition could not be found, she was forced to change course. “Initially, I wanted to do medicine, but we didn’t have the funds… so I went...

Chief One Medical Technologist with the National Public Health Laboratory, Andrae Cole, decided to walk in his cousin’s footsteps in pursuing a career. The Downs, South Manchester native looked up to his cousin, Wayne Reid, a medical technologist, who at the time, was the closest family member to have pursued a tertiary-level education. So, after completing his years at Manchester...

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Lead for the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW), Shawn Bolton, was easily one of the most important figures working in the background at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, Mr. Bolton who was then Director of the Systems, Information and Technology Unit (SITU) within the MOHW, was responsible for contributing to...

For half the calendar year, June to November, the Americas face the threat of tropical storms, hurricanes and other natural hazards during the Atlantic Hurricane Season. In recent years, the seasons have been very active, and there is another predicted active season for 2022 with 14 to 21 named storms. Six to 10 of these storms are expected to develop...