Erna May Walters has spent 25 years working in the parish of St. Ann as a community health aide with the Ministry of Health. Over time she has traversed some treacherous terrain, in rain or the scorching sun, on her bicycle or by foot, to help those who needed medical care.
Mrs Walters was very dedicated to her job and she told the North Coast Times she thoroughly enjoyed her duties and often went above and beyond to ensure that people, particularly the elderly and shut-ins, received quality health care from their home.
“I loved my health aide job. Oh God, I had eight districts, as a matter of fact, I worked over the entire St. Ann, at the clinics and providing health guidance to communities,” Mrs Walters said. She told the North Coast Times that most of her work was done by foot visits to communities and special care required by persons who were “shut ins”. Despite the challenges she experienced traversing the different communities, Mrs Walters said she was committed to her job because she has a special love for the elderly and children.
“I love old people, as a matter of fact, I love children too, because I come from a big family, eleven children, two girls and nine boys,” she said. Mrs Walters has seven biological children but has raised ten others.
On National Heroes Day, Monday, October 20 Mrs Walters was awarded for long and dedicated service for her contribution to health care, community development and politics during the awards ceremony at Kings House. She told The Times that she was extremely grateful for the award, but said she was not expecting an award as while she worked each day she only set out to do what she loved.
SERVICE IN POLITICS
She has received much congratulation. “They say it’s time, the work that I did, no other community health aide would do it,” Mrs Walters said she often travelled with her bag filled with food to feed children who she would meet in these communities and who were either hungry or malnourished.
The 74-year old retiree said she was also actively involved in the community and served as a parish councillor for the Sturge Town division in the St. Ann Parish Council. The former People’s National Party councillor, who served for one term said the work she did in the community made it very easy for her to enter politics and beat her political opponent. “I did not even campaign,” she told The Times.
Outside of politics, Mrs Walters said she worked tirelessly for her community and was involved in various projects including the rehabilitation of community centers in Beverly (near Runaway Bay) and Trysee (near Brown’s Town) as well as the rehabilitation of water tanks and road repair in various Runaway Bay communities.
Mrs Walters is not now active in her community but said she still assist in offering advice in various area. She is a former board member of the Hoolebury All Age school an serves as Sunday School teacher, Sunday School treasurer and choir member at Moving Church of God in Runaway Bay. She also served the Cardiff Health committee and the community neighbourhood watch.
She told the Times that she was also instrumental in getting a medical team from Michigan to fly two children with heart problem from Jamaica to Michigan in the United States for medical care. Unfortunately, she said the children died sometime later. She said her passion for health also allowed her to address a health conference in Michigan where she had gone on vacation.
