By ANGELO ARMBRISTER

Freeport News Reporter

angelo@nasguard.com

Health care officials in Grand Bahama joined their counterparts from New Providence in celebrating 10 years of quality service by the Public Hospitals Authority to the nation under the theme "Feel the Difference."

According to Valeria Burrows, an official of the Public Hospitals Authority, the month of July is observed annually throughout the Commonwealth as PHA's month.

"Today is the first day in the month of July, when we at the Public Hospitals Authority are celebrating the 10th anniversary of providing quality health care to the people of The Bahamas," she said, adding that several events have been planned for the month, the first of which was yesterday's staff rally in the Diah Courtyard at the Rand Memorial Hospital.

"So today we have a wonderful program lined up for us ... One of our chaplains, Pastor Adrian Bethel, will be bringing remarks and he will be followed by the fabulous Cooling Waters," she said.

Speaking to the month's theme, "Feel the Difference," Pastor Bethel addressed the issue of pain and how "we can use that to bring change to our lives."

Noting that there is no life that is pain free, Bethel said there is always a purpose to the pain, often-times to get your attention by illuminating the error of your ways.

To that end, the pastor added that it is from our failures that we make our greatest contribution to the world because others will be able to identify with our struggles and be encouraged by our survival and subsequent success.

"God wants us, out of the lessons we've learned, to go back and help other people," he said. "So we shouldn't waste the pain in our lives because it is there to wake us up to the changes we need to make. We don't change when we see the light, we change when we feel the heat ... For instance, a child will be drawn by the light of the fire but not until he/she gets burnt do they pull away from the flame."

Bethel explained that the same can be said for life.

"You may be in a relationship and your friends and family will tell you that the relationship is not good for you, but it wasn't until you started to feel the pain of that relationship that your eyes opened up to see why it was unhealthy and truly understand what your friends and family had been telling you all along," explained Bethel.

The morning's rally was closed out with a junkanoo rush out by The Swingers group.

Other events planned include a church service on Sunday, July 5, at the Freeport Bible Church and an Anything-A-Thon on July 18 beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Rand Memorial Hospital parking lot. In addition, there will be a Poetry Performance by Gea Pierre on July 25 at the Bishop Michael Eldon School Auditorium at 7 p.m. A photo exhibition set up in the foyer of the hospital throughout the month.

In addition to the Rand, the Public Hospitals Authority also is responsible for the management of the Princess Margaret Hospital and the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre in New Providence.