 Meantime, the government has made good on a promise to improve not only conditions and the respiratory hospital, but also patient care. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Early Affairs has launched a patient welfare assistance program. More from her, Madi Mark. The government of St. Dusha has launched a patient welfare assistance program at the respiratory hospital. The start of the program signals the installment of welfare assistance officers at the island's primary COVID-19 care facility. Nancy Francis, Executive Director of the Hospital, highlighted the role of the new staff contingent. Ensure that all patient supplies are delivered to patients within 10 minutes of delivery on the ward. Sign off on the verification log for all drop-off items and receipt by patients. Serve as a liaison for the nursing team for essential supplies such as medical gas, linen and food. Attend to the ancillary needs of patients such as personal grooming, feeding and general hygiene. Communicate patient needs or observations to the nurse. Assist with bed environment management. Advocate for the patient needs and inform the necks of kin of critical items. For example, additional personal items, food items. Engage patients with special needs such as breathing exercises, prayers and approved social interactions as maybe assigned by the clinical team. Prime Minister of St. Dusha and her both Philip J. Pierce said the program was conceptualized from a need to provide patients and staff of the respiratory hospital with additional support. Honorable Philip J. Pierce encouraged a welfare assistant officers to work diligently to ensure the comfort of the patients they serve. I want you as you take care of these people. I want you to understand that what you're doing is really a labor of love. You're not doing it for any money because you are the bridge between these people and possibly a simple thing, something that you would take for granted. Something that would mean nothing to you. Possibly the bridge between that person, their relative would bring a fruit for them or a glass of juice and you take it from there and get to them in a timely manner. What that would mean to that person in isolation for 24 hours. That's what I want to think about when you are doing that job. Think about the joy that you bring to these people in isolation. Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs Hon. Moses Shabbatis, speaking on the pertinence of the program, said it is one that is needed at other medical institutions on Ireland. I want to say to you that this kind of support should be throughout the health sector. And we are hoping that the idea is to give patients a wonderful feeling if there is such a term when you are sick. So if a patient, from the time the patient approaches the hospital, whether it is St. Jude Hospital, Supra Hospital, on the time you get off the bus or you get off the car, you should begin to feel that you will be cared for even though you are very sick. You should begin to feel that you are cared for and that this place will take care of you. The Patient Welfare Assistant program forms part of the Government of St. Lucia's latest efforts to improve the quality of St. Lucia's healthcare sector. From the Government Information Service, Humadi Mark reporting.