Edith Allwood-Anderson (foreground), president of the Nurses Association of Jamaica, dances and sings in line with several of the island's nurses during a praise and worship session at their Founders' Day prayer breakfast, held yesterday at the Knutsford Court Hotel, in New Kingston. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

PRESIDENT OF the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ), Edith Allwood-Anderson, is calling for better communication between the island's nurses and the Ministry of Health.

Mrs. Allwood-Anderson said yesterday that, at present, "The legal framework of Jamaica does not facilitate the direct interfacing with nurses and some of the bureaucrats", and as such, this interferes with the successful management of Jamaica's health care system.

"Any Minister of Health who wants to be an effective minister and wants to see the health ministry move forward must make sure [his] ears are on the ground and [he] communicates with the nurses," she said.

Mrs. Allwood-Anderson was speaking at the NAJ's Founders' Day prayer breakfast held at the Knutsford Court Hotel, in New Kingston.

She further charged Minister of Health Horace Dalley to appoint the chief nursing officer as an adviser and consultant to the ministry and the Permanent Secretary to ensure that the concerns of the nurses be directly communicated to the minister without any interference.

Decision-making process

"Nurses are to be a part of the structure of the ministry. They should be a part of the decision-making process so that when something like KPH [Kingston Public Hospital] happens, we can find you and get across the right message," said Mrs. Allwood-Anderson.

The NAJ is this year celebrating its 61st anniversary under the theme, 'Nurses: Healing Hands, Transforming Society.'

During yesterday's celebrations, several nurses were recognised for their outstanding contributions to health care and continued advocacy on behalf of the nation's nurses.

Among the awardees were Ruth Chuck, Kerry-Ann Senior, Candice Thompson, Belany Cole, Sharon Brown-Brotherton, Diana McIntyre and Denese McFarlane.