A really special iCare check up in Jamaica’s South Coast

Residents along Jamaica’s South Coast will soon be seeing more clearly with access to free eye care at the Great Shape! Inc. iCare clinic from September 26^th through to 30^th.

The clinic will take place at the Triumphant Hope Apostolic Ministries Church in Belmont, Westmoreland from 9am to 3pm daily (Friday until 1pm) and is supported by 25 eye care doctors, professionals and support staff from the US and Canada.

Made possible through a partnership with the Sandals Foundation, the clinic will offer residents access to free eye testing, eye surgery referrals, medication, free pairs of prescriptive, reading and sun glasses.

Nurses at the clinic will also conduct hypertension and diabetes screening with education.

“We are pleased to be back serving the people of Jamaica. We look forward to conducting two life-changing weeks of eye clinics in Westmoreland now and St. James later in the year,” says Steven Stern, Director for Great Shape!’s iCare programme.

Glasses and supplies used at the clinic have been donated through Great Shape! Inc., Quest Vision Care Specialty Lab, Essilor Vision Foundation, Eye Love Cares Foundation, Americares, Hispaniola Cares, National Vision, and Restoring Vision. Logistic support, accommodation, transportation and daily volunteer meals are provided by the Sandals Foundation through Sandals South Coast and Sandals Montego Bay resorts.

“The annual dental and eye care programmes for years have served as a key service for so many families across the island,” says Heidi Clarke, Executive Director at Sandals Foundation. “The last two and half years have demonstrated just how important taking small steps every day can help us maintain healthy lives. We are very happy that we have been able to resume the Great Shape! Inc.’s clinics and continue to help our island’s families resume normalcy. ”

Dental teams from the Great Shae! Inc.’s 1000 Smiles programme continue to serve scores of adults and children each day with clinics operating in the regions of Negril, South Coast, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and St. Mary.

The volunteer missions are made possible with Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts providing accommodations and the charitable arm, the Sandals Foundation, spearheading logistics and offsetting the costs for transportation, as well as food and beverage for the clinics.