![Pastor Dermoth Baptiste (left), president of the church in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, hands a care package to Peggy DaSilva, chief nursing officer in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in representation of 100 care packages that will go towards displaced nurses and frontline workers on the islands after the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano, which erupted early in April, displacing more than 20,000 people. The special ceremony was held on May 14, in honor of the International Nurses Day, at the church’s headquarters in Kingstown, St. Vincent. [Photo: Kerry Kerr]](https://images.hopesoftware.org/resize/L3c6MTkyMCxxOjc1L2hvcGUtaW1hZ2VzLzY1ZTcxMzAxZjY1NTI4MWE1MzhlZDM3My9iNDExNzEzODgxMDgyMjA0LnBuZw/w:1920,q:75/hope-images/65e71301f655281a538ed373/b411713881082204.png)
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in St. Vincent honored dozens of nurses and frontline workers for putting their health and lives on the line every day for the citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The special ceremony highlighted their tireless work in fighting an increase in the number of dengue fever cases, COVID-19 cases, and injuries caused by the recent eruption of La Soufrière, a volcano on the island of St. Vincent.
More than 100 cases of water and care packages were handed over to the island’s health officials at the church’s headquarters office in Old Montrose, Kingstown, on May 12, commemorating International Nurses Day. The event focused on providing care packages for nurses and health professionals who have been displaced due to the volcanic eruptions.
“Today is a very important day in the calendar of nurses in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” said Pastor Dermoth Baptiste, president of the church in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “We would like to congratulate you nurses for the tremendous work you have been doing over the years. We recognize that this is a difficult time for those displaced and those who ensure the nation’s health must also be taken care of. We hope this small gesture will bring them a moment of comfort and self-care, for we appreciate all that our nurses have done and will continue to do.”
Baptiste was joined by the church’s Health Ministries director and National Adventist Health Professional Association director on the islands. They also shared their appreciation for the outstanding work nurses have continued to do.
Peggy DaSilva, St. Vincent and the Grenadines chief nursing officer, praised the Adventist Church for the kind gesture and the humanitarian service provided to the community.
“As nurses, we have been at the core of the pandemic, working across all sectors. Then the explosive eruption of the volcano added an element that wasn’t expected. Through this gesture, you, the church, are highlighting how valuable nurses are to the health care system.”
DaSilva thanked church leaders for demonstrating, in a very tangible way, appreciation for nurses. “You are a true reflection of what the church ought to be doing, ministering both to our spiritual and physical needs. Thank you for seeing us, thank you for investing in us,” she added.
Viola Richardson, senior nursing officer for Hospital Services on the islands, praised the commitment of the church in helping so many citizens through tough times. “Activities such as these give an extra push to nurses who may be on the brink of burnout,” said Richardson.
Church leaders also distributed pharmaceutical products donated by the Adventist Community Hospital in Port-au-Spain, Trinidad, to St. Vincent’s Milton Cato Memorial Hospital medical stores.
This article was originally published on the Inter-American Division’s website