Wed | Nov 13, 2024

Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic

Published:Sunday | April 14, 2024 | 12:07 AMBook review by Nicole Watson -
Book cover
Book cover

A Time Like No Other: The COVID-19 Pandemic; Perspectives on Jamaica’s Experience, recounts the life-changing COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on Jamaica told from the point of view of an expert in the health and sanitation industry. In this book, Audrey Hinchcliffe, chairman and former CEO of Manpower & Maintenance Services Limited (MMS), shares a timely perspective of the challenges faced during the period and provides valuable input into how our country can learn from its experience and mitigate against possible future threats.

Hinchcliffe takes a deep dive into the measures taken to control the panic and overwhelming confusion left in the wake of the pandemic amid our nation’s response. From the first case recorded in Jamaica in March 2020 to reduced restrictions two years later, she shares her take on the resilience of the Jamaican people in this unprecedented time and their willingness to abide by the restrictions set by the Government regarding sanitation protocols and precautions. She further went on to share the courageous efforts of the healthcare workers who faced this threat head-on and the commendable efforts of the Government along with the private sector to help manage and contain the effects of the pandemic.

Hinchcliffe packages these insights in a seven-part collection of commentaries that informs and educates the reader on several critical areas of this moment in history, including the phenomenon that is COVID-19, the different sides of the vaccine debate, the importance of control and prevention during these times, and the part played by the commercial cleaning industry, the socio-psychological effects of the pandemic on our people, and the impact on business management and operations.

Overall, this was a well-written, edifying book that sheds light on a significant point in history. There is a wealth of knowledge and expertise that can help its readers to understand and learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, and given the shared wisdom at different levels and from various angles, this book will definitely provide much-needed insight for future generations.

A Time Like No Other: The COVID-19 Pandemic; Perspectives on Jamaica’s Experience

Author: M. Audrey Stewart-Hinchcliffe

Published by: Caribbean Health Management Consultant Limited

ISBN: 978-976-97211-0-4

Nicole Watson is a communicator, content creator, and a blogger. Follow her on Instagram @nicolesbookishbits.