Hundreds Benefit From Free Eye Care in Providenciales
Hundreds of residents received free, high-quality eye care in Providenciales through the 2026 iCARE outreach programme, a partnership involving the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, Great Shape! Inc. and the Sandals Foundation.
The Ministry of Health and Human Services and the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture formalised the partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Great Shape! Inc., a nonprofit organisation supported by the Sandals Foundation.
The agreement establishes a framework for the participating organisations to expand access to eye-care services and improve vision and general health outcomes across the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The signing ceremony took place in the Ministry of Health and Human Services Conference Room in Providenciales. Speakers included Minister of Health and Human Services Hon. Kyle Knowles; Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture Edgar Howell; iCARE founder and director Steven Stern; and Beaches Turks and Caicos General Manager Deryk Meany.
Under the initiative, a team of 52 volunteers, including 14 doctors from the United States and Canada, operated a community clinic at the Church of God of Prophecy in Five Cays. The clinic opened from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
Residents of Five Cays and the wider Providenciales community received a range of services at no cost, including:
· Comprehensive eye examinations
· Testing for vision problems, eye diseases and injuries
· Eye medications and specialist referrals
· Prescription glasses, reading glasses and sunglasses
· Laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma
· Health screenings for diabetes and hypertension
Patients requiring prescription glasses were also able to select their preferred frames and have their lenses made specifically for them.
The organisers hoped to serve more than 3,000 people during the outreach.
“We have a world-class team here, and we’re going to take really great care of you,” Stern said, encouraging residents to visit the clinic as early as possible.
In recognition of Youth Week, observed from September 20 to 25, part of the iCARE team also visited selected schools to screen students for vision problems. Three doctors were assigned to the school-based programme while the main clinic operated simultaneously.
Stern said identifying vision problems in children can have a life-changing effect.
“When you give a child the ability to see properly, it changes the whole trajectory of their life,” he said. “Once you put glasses on them, you can see children change before your eyes. They have a much better chance of doing well in their schoolwork.”
Government officials said the school component demonstrated their commitment to the health, education and overall well-being of young people. Early diagnosis and treatment can remove barriers to learning, improve classroom participation and support students’ academic development.
Welcoming the programme’s return, Knowles acknowledged the contributions of the government ministries, Great Shape! Inc., the Sandals Foundation, the visiting healthcare professionals and other supporting partners.
Meany said the outreach reflected the Sandals Foundation’s commitment to giving back to Caribbean communities through programmes focused on health, education and the environment.
“We hope to assist about 3,000 people through the eye-care programme,” he said. “This is very special. We are going into the schools and communities—everywhere we can—to make a positive impact.”
The 2026 outreach marked the iCARE programme’s second clinic in the Turks and Caicos Islands, following its first visit in 2018. Great Shape! Inc. has received support from Sandals since 2005, initially through dental outreach programmes. Its eye-care initiative began in 2009 and has since served nearly 80,000 people throughout the Caribbean.
The Sandals Foundation and Great Shape! Inc. also supported a dental outreach in the Turks and Caicos Islands that treated more than 6,000 people during the previous year.
Stern described serving the people of Providenciales as an honour and also invited residents from the other islands to take advantage of the free services.
“We’re blessed and happy to serve the people of Providenciales,” he said. “We hope people from the other islands come as well. We would love to see them.”
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