Nurses across Jamaica kick-started their International Nurses Day celebrations with a warm and rousing commemoration service courtesy of LASCO and the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) on Tuesday, May 12, 2020.
Under the 2020 theme Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Nursing the World to Health, 300 ‘health heroes’ tuned in via an online platform and received an outpouring of gratitude for their resilience, sacrifice and unwavering service to Jamaicans.
LASCO has always been synonymous with sharing 'love and kindness' with our fellow man. In a special dedication to the nurses, Founder and Executive Chairman of LASCO Affiliated Companies, The Honourable Lascelles Chin stated, “LASCO is resolute in our support for our men and women who continue to commit their hearts and hands to the health of our nation. We are grateful for their devotion. Our partnership with the Nurses Association of Jamaica stands as a testament to the respect and honour of their position. We will continue to go the extra mile to consistently uplift and recognize their stewardship.”
2019-2020 LASCO/Nurses Association of Jamaica Student Nurse of the Year Taquise Campbell (centre) and Novlette Arthurs (left) assistant recording secretary at the NAJ present fellow colleague Claudia Bartley, public health nurse in the Kingston and St. Andrew Health department with a token of appreciation from LASCO on International Nurses Day. LASCO and the NAJ combined forces to honour Jamaica’s ‘health heroes’ in a special commemoration service held at the NAJ Headquarters in Kingston.
LASCO has dedicated the last 21 years to strengthening the NAJ’s flagship initiatives: the Nurse and Student-Nurse-of-the-Year.
“Despite our challenges we have much to celebrate. We are grateful for LASCO’s continued support of our nurses. LASCO continues to demonstrate a true understanding of the contribution of nursing to the Jamaican populace,” explained Carmen L. Johnson, president of the NAJ.
She continued, “Colleagues, take heart that we have life. Take heart that we are able to breathe and in this ability to breathe we are able to assist our fellow men and women. We must stand firm to ensure that our nurses and midwives are nursing Jamaicans and the world back to health”.
While speaking to the strategic approach of The Ministry of Health and Wellness to address, maintain and develop the skillset of health and allied services, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. The Honourable Christopher Tufton noted that “Our Nurses form a critical part of these priorities and we will continue to explore various avenues for nurses to hone their skills, receive the maximum benefits, while contributing to the best health outcome for all.”
He continued, “We hear your voices and today we take the time to acknowledge the heroes of health, who without, public health would not be possible”.
In honour of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.