Marcia Weathers is Public Health Inspector of the Year

WESTERN BUREAU:

MARCIA WEATHERS, a food safety officer affiliated with the Clarendon Health Department under the South East Regional Health Authority, has been recognised as the recipient of the prestigious title, 2023 Public Health Inspector of the Year.

Public Health Inspector Jodi Ann Harris of Westmoreland Public Health Services was second, receiving a monetary prize of $50,000 and a plaque. Alecia Harris-Gayle, a public health inspector at Trelawny Health Services, received a plaque and $30,000 for placing third.

Weathers is a resident of Belle Plain district in Clarendon. The recognition was bestowed upon her during the just-concluded One Health, One Global Environment Conference.

In conjunction with the 77th anniversary of the Jamaica Association of Public Health Inspectors (JAPHI), the conference was organised by JAPHI and the International Federation of Environmental Health, American Region at the Hilton Rose Hall Hotel in Montego Bay, St James.

The 48-year-old food safety officer received accolades from her colleagues for her contributions to the field. She was presented with a JAPHI trophy, a monetary prize of $80,000, and a weekend getaway for two at the Hilton Rose Hall Hotel and Spa.

In an interview with The Gleaner, she expressed her surprise at being recognised.

“I am so humbled and elated, and I am just giving God thanks for this award,” said Weathers, who is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in public health at the University of Technology, Jamaica.

“I think I was born to be a public health inspector based on the different career path I have taken in the Ministry of Health,” Walters said, pointing out that having received training, she worked as a health records technician before moving into public health.

“I had always wanted to be an airline hostess, but when I look back, I believe that I am in the right field as a public health inspector,” Weathers said.

She said that she now believes that her current occupation as a food safety officer specialist – public health inspector aligns more suitably with her professional interests and goals.

Weathers’ efforts include delivering essential aid to the citizens of Clarendon throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance involved contact tracking and promoting the appropriate utilisation of face masks and how not to wear the same socks outside and inside the classrooms at two early childhood schools, with the objective of mitigating the transmission of the virus.

In addition to fulfilling her role as a public health inspector, she continues to contribute to her community by participating as a member of the Spalding District of Churches Health and Wellness team. Weathers expressed that her intrinsic inclination to assist others is being gratified through her occupation as a public health inspector.

Before assuming her significant position, Weathers served as the veterinary public health inspector for the parish of Clarendon as well as the vector control specialist for the same parish at different times over the period July 2020 to February 2023.

Weathers is an experienced food safety officer with 11 years of professional practice and a total of 25 years of service in the health sector. She has played a crucial role in the establishment of three poultry slaughterhouses. During this project, she utilised innovative approaches to facilitate the acquisition of materials that complied with public health regulations, thereby ensuring adherence to the required standards.

As part of her everyday routine, she engages in the investigation of communicable diseases and the monitoring of disease prevention and control measures. As a food safety officer, Weathers is responsible for conducting inspections of food establishments as well as enforcing public health standards, which include the processing and licensing of these establishments.