From:TheBahamasWeekly.com

International
Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis receives the 2009 PAHO Award for Administration
By Dr. Merle J. Lewis, PAHO/WHO
Oct 1, 2009 - 12:15:41 PM

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The Bahamas Representation of the Pan American Health Organization [PAHO] and World Health Organization [WHO] wishes to advise that the Chief Medical Officer of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis, was yesterday, September 29th, 2009, awarded the 2009 PAHO Award for Administration in Washington, DC, USA.  

Every year the Governments of the countries of the Americas, acting through their representatives in the meetings of the Governing Bodies of the Pan American Health Organization, confer the PAHO Award for Administration in recognition of an outstanding contribution in the field of administration within the framework of national health services. More specifically, the Award is conferred on a candidate, who has made a significant contribution in their home country and in the Region of the Americas to improving health development, through the management or execution of services and programs, teaching and research.  

The Jury of the PAHO Administration Award decided to confer the 2009 Award on Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis, for her contribution to health care management and research, and medical education in primary health care. This decision also acknowledges her leadership in institutionalizing public health surveillance across all of The Bahamas, and in evaluating and redefining the parameters for the Caribbean Cooperation in Health.  

Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis, who has been the Chief Medical Officer of the Bahamas for the past twelve years, has been instrumental in improving the administration of national health programs and services across both the public and private sectors; in developing new strategies and programs to respond to changing health and societal scenarios as well as newly emerging diseases, such as H1N1 Influenza A virus; in teaching and mentoring newly graduated medical and health professionals in primary health care so as to enhance the cadre of health staff available to work in The Bahamas; and in leading new public health interventions, such as the immunization of adult males and females in order to eliminate indigenous rubella transmission and, more importantly, congenital rubella syndrome [CRS].  

Dr. Dahl-Regis’  contributions have not only brought significant benefit to The Bahamas, but also to the wider Caribbean through her unstinting and active involvement and participation on many Committees and Advisory bodies of the Caribbean Community [CARICOM]. Her technical and clinical skills coupled with her exceptional management and administrative competencies made her a highly sought after professional, such that she was selected to sit on many committees at the global level, such as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization [GAVI]. She has been representing the Bahamas as a Member of the WHO’s Executive Board, since 2007.    

In her acceptance speech, Dr. Dahl-Regis, indicated that she was greatly indebted to the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the Right Honorable Hubert Ingraham, for making it possible for her to serve her country as Chief Medical Officer. She also expressed her sincerest thanks to her fellow Chief Medical Officers in The Caribbean, for their on-going support and mentoring; to her family for their unwavering support; and to her many mentors, including Sir George Alleyne for their selfless guidance.  She indicated that she was pleased to accept the Award on behalf of women in Public Health, in general, and female physicians, in particular.   

She further noted that Bahamian physicians and health workers had made significant contributions in public health, both internationally and at home and explained further that in 1987, at the 32nd Directing Council of PAHO, the then Minister of Health for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Dr. Norman Gay, had challenged his Ministerial colleagues from the Region of the Americas to eradicate Poliomyelitis. The positive response to this challenge is today reflected in the health of our children as well as in an absence of poliomyelitis. Dr. Dahl-Regis under-scored the fact that primary health care not only provides quality care, but that it is also a better investment of our health dollars.  

Dr. Dahl-Regis exhorted current physicians to support this new generation of medical practitioners to choose careers in public service and primary health care, pointing out that it was important to exact a balance in social and preventative medicine, while embracing the advances in hospital medicine. She opined that without an increase in the number of primary health care providers, the Bahamas will have neither a healthy nor a prosperous nation.

Dr. Dahl-Regis accepted the Award on behalf of her Country, its Government, the health work force, and women in medicine, in particular.  

The Bahamas Representation of the Pan American Health Organization sincerely congratulates Dr. Dahl-Regis on the receipt of this prestigious award and the global recognition of her contribution to improving the health of the peoples of the Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Region of the Americas and the world.  




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