The Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) has bestowed top honours on three of Jamaica's most outstanding medical practitioners.

They are Dr Brendan Dunn, consultant anaesthetist; Dr Archibald McDonald, professor of surgery and emergency medicine and dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies (UWI); and Dr Earl Wright, immediate past director of mental health and substance abuse services in the Ministry of Health.

The doctors received their awards at the MAJ's annual banquet Saturday night at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

The banquet was one of the major events of the MAJ's annual symposium which was held this year under the theme, 'The Impact of Trauma on the Health of the Nation'.

Dr Dunn worked as senior resident in anaesthesia at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) before returning to the Kingston Public Hospital where he was appointed consultant anaesthetist with special responsibility for the National Chest Hospital.

Invaluable contribution

He is noted as having made an invaluable contribution to the evolution of anaesthesia and intensive care in Jamaica in general and the public sector specifically.

Professor Archibald McDonald joined the Department of Surgery, University of the West Indies in 1987 after completing specialist surgical training towards the DM (Surgery) UWI degree. He returned to the UWI after a highly successful stint in private medical practice because of his motivation to serve his country and the university.

Professor McDonald undertook to transform the UHWI's Casualty Department into a modern acute- treatment facility. He subsequently helped to design and plan the Scotia Bank Accident and Emergency Unit, which was commissioned in 1993. Under his supervision, trauma and emergency services at the University Hospital expanded. He established the DM programme in emergency medicine and, to date, there have been 18 graduates. He also collaborated with Professor Lenworth Jacobs and Jameel Ali in 2004 to establish the Advanced Trauma life Support (ATLS) programme at the UHWI.

Personal research

Professor McDonald's personal research in trauma has helped to guide national policies on injury prevention and management. He played a pivotal role in defining the epidemiology of injuries in Jamaica and provided recommendations for curbing the epidemic.

Dr Earl Wright is the immediate past director of mental health and substance abuse services in the Ministry of Health. Previously, he held a similar position as director of community mental health services for the state of New York for the borough of Manhattan.

He returned to Jamaica in 1980 for two years and permanently in 1992 during which time he worked as medical officer of Health in the St Thomas Health Department before taking up the position at the Ministry of Health. During his tenure as director of mental health and substance abuse services in the Ministry of Health, he guided the process of integration of mental health with general health-care services in the Government health service and championed the promotion of mental health.

He is currently the chairman of the National Council on Drug Abuse and has also served on a number of other Boards including PALS, Patricia House Residential Substance Abuse Facility, the Possibilities Programme for Street Children and the Early Childhood Commission.

He received an award from the Psychiatric Association of Jamaica for dedicated service to psychiatry in Jamaica in August 2007. Dr Wright is also a well known moderator of 'Unity is Power' on Power 106 FM and 'Clinical Expressions' on RJR 94 FM.