42 years of love for helping people
MANNING FRANCIS was only 17 years old when he started working as a porter at the Linstead Public Hospital. He said he got the job when his brother was a patient at the hospital and his mother enquired whether there were any vacancies during one of her visits.
Forty-two years later, Francis still finds joy in the work he does. He said his love for helping people is what has kept him going over the years.
“I enjoy working with sick people. When you do something for others, it makes you feel good,” he said with a smile on his face. “I like to help the patients. When somebody is sick and can recover, it gives me the greatest joy to help them.”
He recalls working on the wards where there were patients on traction, which is commonly used for straightening broken bones or
relieving pressure on the spine and skeletal system.
“They would not go to the bathroom until I come and help them,” he explained. “For me, it was a joy to know that they depend on me.”
He also shared his fondest memories of working with Sister Moodie, a former ward manager.
“She was so good to me. She was loving and kind and helped me to get appointed in my position as porter,” he said.
He spoke highly of Dr Kotaiah Katragadda, former senior medical officer, who retired in August 2017 after serving the hospital for over 35 years.
Manning recalled when the hospital scaled back its services in the 1980s.
“I was one of the lucky ones because they didn’t send me home,” he explained. “Things were way off because you used to have the medical ward and the surgical ward and so many patients, and then when things scaled down, all of that changed.”
Now, with the implementation of the redevelopment projects, Manning says he is pleased to be able to witness the transformation.
“I feel very glad about it because the hospital is going back to its glory days,” he said. “The Linstead Hospital is a very good hospital, and I am proud work here.”
Manning Francis retired on June 29, 2018.