ROYAL SHUT-OUT - Lowly paid hospital workers hurt after being denied glimpse of William, Kate

Auxiliary workers at the Spanish Town Hospital huddled by themselves yesterday, far from the 'corridors of power' as Britain's Prince William and his wife, Kate, toured the St Catherine-based health facility.

Dejection and embarrassment were written on the faces of the lower-level workers, some of whom said that they attempted to take up positions to where the royal couple would pass but were told to leave.

"Mi feel really embarrassed because a we help clean up the place when di royals dem a come, and we a guh clean up after dem gone. We never in anyone way enuh, because is not like the prince and him wife did a look or walk over this side. We just wanted to take pictures like everyone else, but dem come and shout afta wi, and seh wi fi move," one worker said.

While the lower-level staff huddled by themselves, persons higher up on the food chain were seen standing on the same corridor, capturing the historic moment with their cellular phones. Auxiliary workers with whom THE STAR spoke said that yesterday's royal shut-out represented another chapter in the unfair treatment to which they have become accustomed.

"We are not in the top 10, we are at the bottom of the barrel. ...A suh dem always treat we, and we cannot talk or we will lose we job," one worker said.

William and Kate visited Spanish Town Hospital to hear how pandemic impacted Jamaica's healthcare system. The country has recorded approximately 129,000 cases of COVID-19 since March, 2020, when the first case surfaced on the island. As of Tuesday, there have been 2,872 COVID-related deaths.

Dr Taynia-Kaye Trowes, a medical officer who spoke with Kate, said that the duchess was interested in knowing how she and her team had managed throughout the pandemic.

"She wanted to know how we were coping over the past two years in light of the pandemic, and I was saying to her that sometimes it was really hard because we have our families, and sometimes we did not get a chance to interact with them as much as we would want to. I told her we find ways of de-stressing as we are Jamaicans and we always finds ways to enjoy ourselves. [And] even though the numbers were really high at one point, and it was a bit frustrating, we still managed to pull through ," she said.

The auxiliary workers noted that they played a significant role in helping to fight COVID-19, but were quick to point out that they were not seeking special privileges.

"We might not be saving lives like surgeon, but a we keep the place clean and let nuff people never dead during the pandemic," one worker said.

Spanish Town Hospital is the largest Type B hospital on the island. It was opened 70 years ago in 1952, the same year that Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne.