Healthcare Professionals Encouraged to Take Greater Responsibility for Their Well-Being

The Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) is calling on healthcare professionals to take greater responsibility for their own health and well-being.

Regional Priority Non-Communicable Diseases/Family Health Coordinator at WRHA, Dr. Marcia Johnson Campbell, said that alongside taking care of patients, healthcare workers must also practise self-care.

She was addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, held at the agency’s Montego Bay Regional Office on Monday, July 14.

Dr. Johnson Campbell emphasised that caring for oneself is not a luxury but a necessity, adding that healthcare workers often dedicate themselves to serving others, while neglecting their own health needs.

“Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Self-care is not selfish. It’s a priority,” she advised.

It is against this background that during the national observance of Healthcare Workers’ Month this July, the WRHA hosted a men’s health intervention at Cornwall Regional Hospital in Mt. Salem, St. James, where male employees underwent health checks, including blood pressure, blood sugar, body mass index (BMI), prostate, and cholesterol screenings.

Also provided were foot care services, facilitated by community health aides from St. James and Westmoreland.

Dr. Johnson Campbell stated that the event also featured refreshments, such as okra punch and coconut water infused with aloe vera, as well as physical activity sessions to create a day of wellness.

“We wish we could do this for every employee right across the region. The message, however, is we really want to say to our healthcare workers in general, take charge of yourself and health,” she said.

Throughout the month of July, the WRHA will engage in several activities for its staff, Dr. Johnson Campbell noted, adding that the entity will also be sharing updates on its public health programmes and community outreach efforts as part of the broader role of serving the people of Western Jamaica.

The month-long recognition serves to honour the dedicated men and women working in every area of the country’s health sector – doctors, nurses, public health inspectors, administrative and support staff – whose efforts continue to protect and improve the nation’s health.

Dr. Johnson Campbell said that the recognition emerged from the sacrifices made by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We saw healthcare workers putting themselves on the front line, making a lot of sacrifices, overcoming challenges and barriers. In fact, some of our own healthcare workers lost their lives as they tried to serve,” she noted.

“So, the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Government of Jamaica found it necessary to show appreciation to our heroes,” Dr. Johnson Campbell said.