Photo: Courtesy of @Jennrnann 

Dominica's New Health and Wellness Centers Dedicated to Female Nurses

Funded by the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, the Commonwealth of Dominica is building twelve new health and wellness centers to strengthen their health care and provide better quality services to citizens.  

Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit is pleased with the level of services the health and wellness centers will provide as well as the quality of equipment the centers will be utilizing, stating that "There will be no complaints" about the care delivered at these facilities (ntltrust.com).    

However, the health and wellness centers will not only be providing much-needed services to the people of Dominica, but they will also be honoring the most-deserving individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the island's healthcare sector (thecaribbeannewsnow.com).   

Dominica has begun dedicating the new health and wellness centers to its brave and selfless female nurses (thecaribbeannewsnow.com).  

On March 5, 2021, the newly-commissioned healthcare facility in Vielle Case has been named after the 2020 Sisserou Award of Honor recipient Stella LeBlanc. The honor has been given to LeBlanc for being an instrumental force in the advancement of the primary healthcare program in the Portsmouth district, where she served as a nurse-midwife for 23 years (thecaribbeannewsnow.com). 

During the same week, experienced nurse Maria Moise was honored during the Bellevue Chopin Health and Wellness Center opening ceremony. Also known as "Teacher Maria," Moise taught at two primary schools in Dominica before joining the healthcare workforce in 1979 when typhoon David ravaged the island. In 2012, Moise was recognized as Dominica's Nurse of the Year (thecaribbeannewsnow.com). 

The first health center commissioned to female nurses on February 26, 2020, was the building in Mahaut. Named Esprit-Murphy Health and Wellness Center, in memory of nurses Agatha Espirit David and Anastasia Mary Murphy, these amazing women have dedicated their lives for 40 years of service (thecaribbeannewsnow.com). 

The second center was inaugurated March 1, 2020, and was named after nurse Olivia Douglas—a pioneer of the Primary Health Care revolution of the 1980s. Nurse Douglas was also instrumental in the delivery of many babies (thecaribbeannewsnow.com). 

Sources:  

ntltrust.com 

thecaribbeannewsnow.com