QQ and spa partner to treat nurses

Dancehall artiste QQ recalls his days as a toddler going for check-ups at the Duhaney Park Health centre, and fondly remembers the care he received from the facility's nurses.

When the pandemic hit last year and nurses formed an integral part of the team thrust on to the frontlines, the Maverley native, given name Kareem Dawkins, vowed to do something to show his appreciation. Making good on that promise, the entertainer is getting ready to treat five nurses from Jamaica to a self-care day courtesy of his partners, The Ultimate Skin Haven.

"The whole idea behind it is that I realised that for some reason out here in Jamaica, we don't treat nurses the way they would be treated in other countries and throughout the whole pandemic, the real brunt of the burden has been on them really and truly," he said. "I saw the other day when we had the storm a part of KPH (Kingston Public Hospital) was flooded, and I thought of the condition they've had to work in. I saw them complaining about contracts and payments, there was just so much problems that I just had to do something."

Provide a 'breath of fresh air'

QQ said with the COVID cases rising again, nurses are about to be overwhelmed again, and he just wanted to provide a 'breath of fresh air'.

"I just want to offer them at least a day of relaxation," he shared. "At this point, Ultimate Skin Haven and I have decided to treat five nurses from across the island to massages. We want to do more but that's our starting point at the moment. So if there is a nurse out there that you think is doing an exceptional job and deserve the break, tag them in the post on my page or comment their full government name and a way to reach out and we will do the rest."

QQ said the nurses will be selected randomly and will be treated on August 11. The deadline for recommendations is August 6. The Ultimate Skin Haven's co-owner, Shanhaye Stephens, told THE WEEKEND STAR that when QQ approached her with the idea she did not hesitate to come on board.

"I was reading an article in The Gleaner a few days before QQ reached out and it was talking about nurses and their wages. Then I thought to myself that these are the people that we rely on for healthcare in such a difficult time and this can't be the way we're treating them. So when he said he wanted to do this, I said yes," she shared. "The Ultimate Skin Haven has been in operation for almost 12 months but we already know the joy people experience when they come through our doors. We want to share that joy with some of the most worthy people."