They ran a huge free surgery drive from May 14–26 at the Community Hospital of Seventh-day Adventists in Cocorite, teaming up with Hands International, and more than 3,000 people across Trinidad and Tobago regained sight from cataract and pterygium surgeries. Hundreds showed up each day hoping to be treated; the teams brought specialized gear and used a high-volume cataract technique led by Dr. Jacob Prabhakar (the method can hit up to 450 procedures a day) so they could reach as many people as possible. Hands’ president Dr. Reynold Agard said their target was about 4,000 surgeries because the need is that big.
A lot of the patients had put off care for years because screening and surgery were too expensive, so pre-op screening became a big challenge—many arrived without assessments and the teams had to adapt on the spot. The surgeries were minimally invasive and people saw quick improvements—colors sharper, less night blindness—and they also treated pterygium, that “surfer’s eye” caused by UV, dust and wind. For those folks, this wasn’t just better vision; it was independence and the ability to get back to normal life.
The whole thing was framed as a healthcare mission: hospital and church leaders said it’s a practical way to serve communities and show care, and the initiative delivered hundreds of thousands of dollars in free services. Pastor Leslie Moses and health ministries director Alexander Isaac highlighted the ripple effects—restored hope for families and new connections between the church and local communities. Hands International has done big outreaches before too—last year a team helped more than 8,000 patients during a four-day outreach—so this fits into a larger pattern of mission-driven care.