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Elizabeth Quamina nee Smith was born in England in 1929. She
married Dr. David Quamina in 1955 and they migrated to Trinidad.
She attended Trinity College (1954) and the University of London
(1960) where she qualified in Medicine and Public
Administration. She studied and practised in an era when
medicine was a male-dominated profession. She faced and overcame
many challenges thus earning the respect of her colleagues and
those around her.
Dr. Quamina served in the public health system where she held
several senior positions including Medical Officer (1955),
County Medical Officer of Health (1965), Principal Medical
Officer (1969) and CMO (1979). She was instrumental in
organising the early immunisation programme against
poliomyelitis and the national Breast Feeding Programme. She
undertook and wrote an assessment of the status of the health
sector. She formalised the infrastructure for primary health
care and integrated the vertical programmes within the public
health care system. Her characteristic pleasant but yet
authoritative manner ensured that the system functioned well.
She was at the forefront of health legislation reform and
pioneered efforts to formulate the first National Health Plan of
Trinidad and Tobago. She initiated the National AIDS Programme
and chaired the National AIDS Committee. She served on many
other Cabinet-appointed committees including the Task Force that
developed the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (1981 –
1987).
She was an active member of the Cancer Society and toiled to
establish the National Cancer Registry in 1994. The registry is
today known as the Dr. Elizabeth Quamina Cancer Registry – The
National Cancer Registry of Trinidad and Tobago.
Dr. Quamina received many awards for her achievements. They
included the Chaconia Medal (Gold) for service in medicine
(1980), the PAHO Award for Administration (1985), the Medal of
the Medical Society of the WHO (1985), the Scroll of Honour from
the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association (1986), and the PAHO/WHO
Gold Medal for Health for All (1988).
Dr. Quamina’s lifelong dream was to help people. This she
fulfilled as indeed countless persons benefited from her
dedication and hard work.
A rare and precious gift to humanity, she passed away in 1997.
Her life serves as an inspiration for us all.
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