AFTER 25 YEARS with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation, Dr Ernest Pate, who served as Caribbean regional coordinator was toasted at a recent retirement function at the Courtyard by Marriott last week.
Pate, who specialised in paediatrics and neonatology, was joined by his wife Paulette and two children at the ceremony held under the theme New Beginnings.
The man of the moment said it had been an experience through which he had learned a lot and shared a lot. However, he noted that he would not have achieved very much had it not been for the excellent calibre of others he worked with as well as the support from his family.
Pate said he had already been asked to take on a “couple things”, but noted that he intended to take a long holiday before venturing into other areas.
Minister of Health John Boyce praised Pate for his service to the region, stating that his decades of service to health and the field of medicine nationally, regionally and internationally would leave a lasting legacy.
“We can truly say that Dr Pate is a Caribbean son of the soil who has worked tirelessly to bring good health and wellness to the people of this region. How fortunate for us that our community is one of the lucky beneficiaries of his commitment to service and to excellence,” Boyce said.
Pate, who was born in Belize, started his stint in Barbados from November 2010. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Maxine McClean encouraged Pate to not only reflect on his career and the important contribution he made to the region, but to also find some time to capture that work, noting that the region could do well with records of the issues and achievements that occupied his 25 years of service.
Remarks were also given by PAHO/WHO representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean countries, Dr Godfrey Xuereb, and United Nations resident coordinator Stephen O’Malley. (LK)
