As we travel this wonderful world that God created for us, we experience opportunities and events that sometimes last for a lifetime or beyond. The opportunity of meeting and working with Dr, Daisley in 1983 at the operating theatre in Kingstown was that experience for me .
At that time he was the only official Anaesthesia provider in St. Vincent, ably assisted by Mr., Rudolph Mayer, the first Nurse Anesthetist in St. Vincent, trained by Dr. Daisley in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.
I was greatly impressed by the work he did and the calm and calculated manner in which he executed his duties; sometimes under challenging situations.
My love for Anaesthesia began and I craved to pursue a career in Anaesthesia and to perform some of the wonderful and exciting things I saw him do.
Fortunately, he was the right person to meet at that time as he eventually proved to be the most genuine, helpful, selfless, calm and focused professional consultant in Anaesthesia that I have met throughout my career.
My colleague Nurse Anaesthetist, Dennis Haynes and I joined the department together. Soon we were on our way to learn the rudiments of anaesthesia as our consultant was not hesitant to teach us all he could. He gave us planned lectures mostly on Fridays in the afternoon when he would teach us about aneasthetic drugs, various anaesthesia techniques, assessment and management of the anaesthetized patient. Soon we became very useful and helpful in the department so much so that a visiting consultant from England was so impressed that he gave us a copy of the book “The synopsis of Anesthesia”, in appreciation for our contribution in the department during his brief stint.
During this time, Mr. Mayers had gone to the School of Nurse Anaesthesia / University of the West Indies in Jamaica in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for formal training ; all made possible by the assistance of Dr. Daisley.
Mr. Hayes and I followed soon after and returned from Jamaica in 1989. Unfortunately, Dr. Daisley didn’t stay much longer in the department. He travelled overseas. Incidentally I left the department a few years later for Dominica and later Jamaica.
Many years went by but the distinguished experience of working with Dr. Daisley at the Kingstown General Hospital (as it was called previously) lingered prominently in my mind, especially every day when I would turn on the anesthesia machine to begin my work. My efforts to contact him for about thirty (30) years proved futile but I took every opportunity to tell everyone I could about my first consultant.
In December 2022, on my own volition, I mentioned about my first anaesthesia experience at a meeting with an administrative group. Within the next 24 hours that followed I was becoming more eager to make contact so I mentioned it to a friend of mine who lived in Canada, and who had worked at Kingston General Hospital. She suddenly said “I can get Dr Daisley’s number for you.” This made it possible to speak to him for the first time in about thirty years.
I can recall, apart from his commitment and dedication to his duties at the hospital, this consultant was a devoted Christian and used to preach on Sundays in the afternoon, on a radio programme after the usual theme song, “Speak my Lord! Speak my Lord! Speak and I’ll be quick to answer thee! Speak my Lord! Speak my Lord! Speak and I will answer Lord send me.”
I reminded him of his radio programme and even sang the theme song for him. He expressed how happy he was that I was reaching out to him. I was extremely happy and expressed that I was grateful for his assistance many years ago and was overjoyed to contact him after such a long time.
I began to tell him of some activities that I was hoping that he would be able to participate in but he mentioned that he was not in the best of health but would be happy to assist if he could. I never had another conversation with him again. He answered a few text messages then his daughter Patrice, who seemed to be at his side during his final days, communicated to me about his condition.
On June 23rd, as was expected, she texted that he had passed on peacefully.
My recollection of Dr. Daisley is that he was a very dedicated professional – a man of greatness unmatched by thousands.
He was a proponent of high standards in anesthesia service.
He was an advocate for training and the development of the Nurse Anaethetist in St Vincent and The Grenadines.
He gave the most he could to the service and served selflessly.
His contribution to anesthesia was so phenomenal that the good qualities and skills that he Inculcated will live on for a very long time.
I take this opportunity to encourage the Anaesthesia staff and all other members of staff who were impacted by his contribution to continue to live the legacy of this great professional.
I wish on the behalf of the Nurse Anaesthetists of the Robert Milton Cato Hospital to express sincere condolences to the family of Dr. Winston Daisley.
May he rest in peace
