Dr Delroy Fray – Exemplifying bravery and selflessness

CATEGORY: Health & Wellness

Despite having more than three decades of experience in the public healthcare sector, Dr Delroy Fray, the clinical coordinator at the Western Regional Health Authority, said he was scared at first when the country was forced to respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), because there were no vaccines to treat this new dreaded disease.

Dr Fray, who previously held the position of senior medical officer at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James, said while it was challenging during the outbreak of the klebsiella and serratia disease in 2015, which caused the death of several babies, along with the noxious fumes crisis at the hospital in 2016, none was as terrifying to him as COVID-19, which hit Jamaica in 2020.

“This one scared me the most when the news broke,” said Dr Fray.

“I studied the disease process, and I was frightened, because I realised that we must provide healthcare for our patients; but we don’t have any guaranteed protection, even though we were provided with the best protective garments that were available.”

He continued, “There was also no vaccine at the time and if you’re exposed, there’s nobody who can guarantee what is going to happen.”

In spite of his dread, Dr Fray, who was called out of retirement from the public sector, bravely stepped out on the frontline in the quest to fight the virus and guided the medical staff at the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

For his bravery, selflessness, and initiative in response to the COVID-19 crisis in 2021, Dr Fray is being bestowed with the RJRGLEANER Honour Award in the category of Health and Wellness.

Humbled by the acknowledgement, he shared that at the height of the public health crisis, “For the first time I realised that if you leave your house to assist, there’s no guarantee that you will not get infected or end up in hospital.”

He continued, “However, when the vaccine came on board it was a ray of hope, the breakthrough.”

In terms of braving the tsunami of the coronavirus and keeping his staff grounded during one of the most difficult periods for healthcare workers, Dr Fray credited the professional relationship and bond he shared with nurses, medical staff and the general workers at the hospital.

During the turbulent periods of the pandemic, he was forced to draw on his training from a management course for medical professionals that he took at The University of the West Indies, Mona, which opened his eyes to critical leadership skills, including the art of listening.

“I learned to listen to people, and I learned empathy,” said Dr Fray, while pointing to the importance of leaders having compassion for their staff.

“I always congratulate my staff and big them up, because you can never do this alone, it is a team of people – the nursing staff, the medical staff – and I have the opportunity to teach most of the doctors that work at the hospital.”

The public healthcare veteran said the pandemic truly tested the capabilities of the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit, and he had to constantly encourage the medical team as they carried out their task of helping to save the lives of those who were infected with the virus.

“You sit down with the nurses. You talk and empathise with them, and you find out what their needs are; and you work within those needs, and they learn to trust you,” added Dr Fray.

As if the stress of the health crisis wasn’t enough, the death of a member of the hospital’s medical staff from the virus brought his team to the brink, which forced him to dig even deeper to hold the team together and keep going.

Prayer, Dr Fray said, was a key component in helping the health sector to cope during one of its worst crises.

INTERESTING FACTS

Dr Delroy Fray has a special love for:

• Teaching

• Scuba diving

• Fishing

• Lawn tennis

• Playing dominoes

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS

• Dr Delroy Fray was the senior medical officer of health at the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

• He is the clinical coordinator of the Western Regional Health Authority. (WRHA).

• He is an associate lecturer in the Department of Surgery at The University of the West Indies.

• Dr Fray is a church elder.

BUCKET LIST

Dr Delroy Fray’s dream is for:

• Jamaicans being able to one day get full access to health care in the public sector.

• An efficient public health system, where everyone can get swift, quality service.