Dr Clerk, ‘angel of compassion’ through medicine

The Archdiocese of Port of Spain recently presented Dr Richard Clerk with a Papal Award, the Benemerenti Medal. Here is his brief profile.

For 50 years, Dr Richard Clerk has dedicated his life, through his medical career, to being a true missionary disciple.  Forty-one of these, he has spent as the Chief Medical Officer for the Living Water Hospice (LWH), one of the many social ministries of the Living Water Community (LWC).

Born into a practising Catholic family on May 2, 1949, Richard was the younger of two sons. His formative years were spent at the Abbey School at the Benedictine Monastery at Mount St Benedict, St Augustine.

While at St Benedict’s, he threw himself into his studies and enjoyed participating in sports. There he also discovered his love of the outdoors as he explored the hills of the Northern Range, where the school was situated.

Richard then went on to complete his secondary school education at St Mary’s College (CIC) attaining the required qualification to facilitate his entry into the medical programme at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, Jamaica.

He returned to Trinidad, a graduate of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with Honours in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from UWI in August 1974.

While trekking in the Blue Mountains, Jamaica, Richard had a life-altering encounter which for him remains personal, profound, and spiritual. Upon his return home, he almost immediately began his charitable work by constructing a home for a family in need.

As he journeyed through his newly acquired professional life, his outreach included volunteering at St Theresa’s RC Church, Woodbrook Geriatric Clinic and The Lady Hochoy Home for persons with Intellectual Disabilities, Cocorite.

He also assisted with the St Peter’s RC Church, Carenage, programme to feed low-income families and participated in the LWC’s Saturday ‘soup-runs’ that fed the homeless of Port of Spain. He is an active covenant member of LWC.

Dr Clerk’s life has always demonstrated his deep calling from God to serve the broken body of Jesus. From the very early days of the LWC, he conducted a weekly medical clinic for the homeless at the Community’s Center at #109 Frederick Street, POS. These services extended to Ave Maria House Caring Center for the poor and destitute, located in the heart of the capital.

A true ‘angel of compassion’ to many desolate and sometimes despondent souls, Dr Clerk became associated with the LWH from its inception in 1983. Along with the other directors of the LWC, he has always striven to ensure that the highest quality of service is afforded to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.

He oversees the continuous improvement of the facility and the training of the attending staff and ensures that on-call doctors are available in his less than frequent absences.

While maintaining his own private practice, he is in attendance to patients at the Hospice daily, more than once per day. Dr Clerk can only be described as dedicated, selfless and unwavering in his manner. His compassionate demeanour has endeared many patients and staff alike, to him.

In his own private practice, he offers his medical services without charge to people who, under normal circumstances, would not be able to afford visits to a private doctor.

This service also extends to many refugees and asylum seekers who have reached out to him. And, to date, he remains one of the very few doctors who would make house calls, and many free of charge.

The narrative of Richard’s personal life also speaks to that of a selfless human being.  He met his wife, Patricia, in Jamaica and in good stead they became a family of five.  Throughout their marriage, he has been a faithful husband, father and grandfather tending to the needs of his family. When his parents, who had migrated from Trinidad, moved back home in their later years, he cared for them until their passing.