Royal Couple’s Visit To Hospital Source Of Inspiration – Health Minister

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says the visit of Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to the Spanish Town Hospital on March 23 was a source of inspiration and positivity for the staff and patients of the facility.

In an interview with JIS News after the event, Minister Tufton said that the Royal visit presented an opportunity to celebrate front-line healthcare workers and to thank them for the sacrifices of the last two years.

He was speaking against the background of the yeoman service provided by front-line healthcare workers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) just over two years go.

“It was a good visit in that it has generated some excitement among the staff and patients there. You have VIPs coming to visit with the expressed intent of showing appreciation to our healthcare workers, front-line workers and, in this instance, our workers here at Spanish Town Hospital,” Dr. Tufton said.

This, the Minister pointed out, was extra special, as a hospital is generally not associated with celebration.

The Minister said that the royal couple were well received and that they offered words of encouragement to the staff with whom they interacted.

“I think it was important to explain to them what we do here, what we do in Jamaica in terms of healthcare, and they heard it directly from the nurses and the doctors,” Dr. Tufton said.

The Minister thanked the leadership and staff of the South East Regional Health Authority and the hospital for their smooth execution of the event.

“I think this was a very positive development, a very positive visit. I think we allowed an opportunity to make an impression on our visitors. I am sure they left with a positive impression,” he said.

He pointed out that Jamaica is a member of the Commonwealth and that the Royal Family is at the top of that chain.

The visit of the Duke and Duchess to the hospital was one of the stops on the itinerary of their three-day Official Visit to Jamaica from March 22 to 24.

The visit forms part of the celebrations marking the Platinum Jubilee (70th Anniversary) of the reign of Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II.

It is to be noted that Spanish Town Hospital, which was opened on June 18, 1952, will also be celebrating its 70th Anniversary this year.