Daily Gleaner, January 20, 1980

Dr. Saward [Joyce Isaacs] was born in Mandeville on March 20, 1898 and qualified as a doctor in London in 1924. On July 1, 1924 she was appointed Medical Officer of the Tuberculosis Commission set up by the then Government of Jamaica and the Rockefeller Foundation of the United Stales. While working with the Commission, Dr. Saward along with a Dr. Opie conducted investigations into Tuberculosis in Jamaica and recommended ways in which tubercular problems could be tackled.

Following the .Saward-Opie report, the Chest Clinic was built in 1928, and on ApriI 1, 1936 she was appointed Medical Officer assigned to the Chest Clinic. The Chest Clinic is at Princess and Drummond Streets and serves as the diagnostic centre for Kingston and the rest of the island. It also serves as a follow-up centre for tuberculosis patients living in Kingston and St. Andrew.Treatment wards were also set up in some parishes.

On April 1, 1934, Dr. Saward was appointed Tuberculosis Officer in the Government Medical Service, a post she held until she left with her husband to join the war effort in 1939.

In1927, she had also helped to form the anti-T.B. League of which she was Chairman until early 1979. The aim of the League is to help needy patients and their families financially and otherwise.

Returning to Jamaica at the end of the War, Dr. Saward, with the help of the anti-T.B. League started the Tuberculosis after-care programme. Under this programme, ex-T.B. patients learn handicraft and other skills. The programme was originally located at the Chest Clinic. However premises were acquired at 2A Baker Street in Jones Town and the programme was re-located to this centre under the name of Carawak Crafts.

In early 1979 the Centre was robbed of machinery and materials and this has severely crippled the programme. However, efforts are under way to re-start the programme by replacing equipment and materials.

Dr Saward retired from the Government Medical Service in 1943 and since her retirement was involved in the anti-T B League and the after-care programme Illness, however, has forced her to discontinue these activities.

Dr Saward has been credited with reducing Tuberculosis in Jamaica from an epidemic level to one in which only approximately 300 cases of Tuberculosis are reported each year and resulting in only few deaths.

For her contributions to the field of Medicine, Dr Saward was awarded the O B E.