Hospital caregivers getting opportunity for homeowners

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in collaboration with the National Housing Corporation (NHC) will be hosting a special Housing Fair for QEH staff this Friday August 12, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be on the QEH compound and features participation from the NHC, The Hope Inc., and a variety of banks and credit unions – City of Bridgetown Credit Union, Barbados Public workers, Republic Bank, Lifetime Credit Union, Barbados Workers Union, Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited and Sagicor.

Two sessions on financial planning will be done and there will be a showcase of housing projects that are ready and upcoming. Staff will be signed up to tour sites to see first-hand inside some of the housing solutions.

In speaking about the rationale for bringing the housing fair to the QEH compound, Executive Chairman Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland said: “We have a very committed staff who spend long hours at our institution providing care to patients. It is often difficult to get away for many.

:As employers, it is our role to care for the staff and make them feel valued so that in turn they are motivated to give the best patient care. In my conversations with staff about their personal and professional goals, staff have often expressed concerns about access to housing. They indicated difficulty in acquiring mortgages, rental units or land to build on at their own pace.

“At QEH, we believe we can assist with this critical aspect of personal development by making linkages on their behalf with NHC and lenders. We have partnered with the Barbados Nurses Association to sensitise banks to the needs of nurses and the role that access to housing can play in retaining nursing staff in Barbados.

“As we saw the NHC roll out their impressive community fairs, we requested a session that can be easily accessed by our staff on all shifts including those coming off of the night shift.

The Ministry of Housing, NHC and financing agencies have been extremely supportive and we appreciate the responsiveness.”

This session is for staff at all QEH facilities and the public has been assured that all services will continue while the event is being conducted. (PR)