Patrick Foster – a Driving Force in the COVID-19 Response

Driver at the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) Patrick Foster, recalls that his entry into the Ministry could not have prepared him for what he was to encounter on the front line as the country grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was, however, cognisant of the important role he played and in which he diligently served in an area that had many of his colleagues running scared.

The MOHW driver entered the Ministry in 2018 as a Logistics Officer in the Waste Management Unit. This entails driving a truck, picking up biohazard bins from health facilities and taking them to the plant to be processed for disposal. It also involves liaising with the clients, keeping a logbook and manifest.

Mr. Foster was eventually transferred to the Transport Unit where he currently serves as a driver.

He explains that his response to the pandemic began even before the first case was announced in Jamaica.

On January 31, 2020, the Government of Jamaica imposed a ban on travel to and from China. The MOHW driver explains that the Transport Unit was integral to this process.

“For any flight that was coming in from China with Jamaicans on board, we would be required to take those passengers straight to the quarantine area,” Mr. Foster explains.

He adds that it was during a meeting between the drivers and the MOHW’s Permanent Secretary early in February that the call came in for the first set of persons from China to be transported to a quarantine facility.

“No one wanted to go because of the uncertainty of it, and I volunteered to go,” he recalls.

One of the challenges of the period, Mr. Foster says, is that at that time, the drivers were not wearing any form of personal protective equipment (PPE) because they “didn’t want to cause any panic among the citizens”.

He decided, however, that he would take his own precautions. “So, I soaked cotton in alcohol, waited for it to dry and stuffed it up my nostrils as my own form of protection”.

Mr. Foster says he is aware that this was not an official method, “but I had to find a way to protect myself that would make me feel better. A pandemic was declared, and we were all just learning about this disease”.

His selfless actions, the driver explains, were done in service to his country.

“We didn’t want COVID to come here, so as much as we could protect the country, I was willing to go to that limit,” he explains.

He admits, though, that he was relieved when his team was eventually outfitted with the appropriate PPE.

He recalls encounters with two persons during the early stages of the pandemic that have remained with him.

“I came across one young lady who was very unwell. When I picked her up, she was complaining of belly pain and nausea. She was so sick while we were transporting her,” Mr. Foster recounts.

“It was also heart-rending for me to watch another young miss as she was forced to pack up everything from her home, including her groceries, because of how her neighbours were reacting to her being a suspected case,” he adds.

Things like these, he said, moved his heart to want to do more and to extend himself more.

Even with the experience he had garnered since the beginning of the pandemic, Mr. Foster contends that nothing could prepare him for his own COVID-19 diagnosis.

“I had to stay in and quarantine myself. It was very difficult. At one point, I thought I was going crazy. It was difficult being at home where no one could visit, no children and no friends and unable to move about freely,” he recalls.

He was relieved to eventually learn that what he was experiencing was, in fact, a misdiagnosed sinus infection, after he was called a week later to say that his test was inconclusive. He subsequently did two more COVID-19, tests – both of which were negative.

As soon as he received the green light, Mr. Foster was back out on the front line transporting COVID-positive persons to the quarantine facilities.

He points out that while he had concerns, he did not harbour feelings of fear.

“I had to say to myself that if I don’t do it, who will? Somebody has to do it… .  All I wanted to know is that I was rendering service for my country as this strange disease was affecting us, and I was always hoping and praying that one day we’d be able to get over it or at least learn how to live with it,” he reasons.

The experienced driver believes that he has much more to offer to the MOHW and by extension the people of Jamaica, with his years of experience in the transportation sector. This includes 10 years at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company, many of which were at the supervisory level.

Mr. Foster explains that after leaving JUTC and spending some years in the private sector, he returned to the government system intent on spending the rest of his working life contributing to the development of the country. He says he is happy with his choice.

.“I have fallen in love with the Ministry of Health and Wellness. It has its ups and downs, but I have seen areas where I can grow, and I intend to continue giving it my all,” the dedicated public servant adds.

Patrick Foster is one of thousands of healthcare workers across the island who were recognised by MOHW during July, which was declared Healthcare Workers Appreciation Month.