Western Regional Health Authority Honours Retirees

Seventy-eight retirees were honoured by the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) at its annual retirement luncheon, held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, St. James, on March 16.

Guest Speaker and former Director of Human Resources, Coleen Ricketts-Evans, told the retirees not to look at life as an end-of-the road ordeal but rather to take pride in the rich legacies they have left behind.

She urged them to keep themselves busy, if not active, and to help as best as they could in sharing knowledge in regard to healthcare, especially throughout their communities.

Mrs. Ricketts-Evans said the retirees must be commended for the years of service to the health profession, oftentimes not under ideal conditions… but always staying the course, “and demonstrated a level of professionalism” that is second to none.

“It is clear that you love what you do, or you wouldn’t have stayed in a profession as demanding as healthcare,” she said.

“Many of you could have packed your bags long ago and moved on to greener pastures. You didn’t do that. Instead, you stayed, despite the challenges… and have served your country well,” Mrs. Ricketts-Evans added.

She encouraged the Board of the WRHA to have a succession plan in place where retirees are replaced by equally dedicated professionals, adding that “these retirees here today are a special breed, and so we have to ensure we have the same calibre persons ready to take their place”.

“We must also ensure that we have a system in place at the hospitals and clinics that when our retirees show up for treatment they are also recognised with compassion and as persons who have given years of service to the health system,” she added.

The function was held under the theme ‘Retirement, Beating the Odds Through COVID-19’.

The WRHA provides healthcare through a network of four hospitals and 84 health centres. All health facilities are ranked based on the type and level of service they provide.

Type A hospitals provide comprehensive secondary and tertiary healthcare services and are referral centres for hospitals, both in the public and private health systems. Type B hospitals provide primary- and secondary-care services, while Type C hospitals provide primary-care services and basic secondary-care services.