Misick details legal losses, mounting healthcare costs and Government’s plan to move beyond the InterHealth concession

By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

Speaking during the House of Assembly on Friday, July 31, Premier Washington Misick delivered what he described as a “full and frank account” of the Government’s long-running dispute with InterHealth Canada, revealing that litigation surrounding the hospital concession has already cost the Turks and Caicos Islands approximately $39.7 million and confirming that another arbitration remains before the tribunal.

“The people deserve honesty,” Misick told the House. “They deserve to understand how we arrived at this moment and what it has cost them and what this Government is doing about it.”

The Premier said he intends to table a detailed paper outlining the history of the hospital agreement, the financial figures and the legal decisions that have shaped the dispute.

“I think we owe it to the public to be transparent at all times,” he said. “At the end of the day, they are the ones who are paying for these things.”

Misick stressed that the hospitals themselves have transformed healthcare in the Turks and Caicos Islands, but argued the concession agreement underpinning them has proven financially and legally unsustainable.

“The hospitals themselves are an asset. The contract on which they operate has become unsustainable.”

Tracing the agreement back to 2008, the Premier said findings by the Commission of Inquiry highlighted the absence of a competitive tender process and identified conflicts of interest that, he argued, contributed to the structural weaknesses of the contract.

“I do not rehearse this history to apportion blame across party lines,” Misick said. “I raise it because the House and the public must understand the nature of the problem we inherited and why the structural flaws embedded in this agreement from the very beginning have proven so difficult and so costly to resolve.”

He explained that the concession created separate responsibilities for infrastructure management and clinical services, making accountability difficult to enforce, while the payment model reimbursed costs plus a guaranteed profit.

“This is not a sustainable model for any healthcare system,” he said.

The Premier also disclosed the scale of healthcare spending, stating that public healthcare cost the country $828 million between 2016 and 2025, representing 32 percent of Government expenditure and 8.1 percent of national GDP.

He then outlined the cost of the first international arbitration, saying Government was ordered to pay $18.5 million in principal and interest, $8.2 million toward the company’s legal costs, in addition to arbitration expenses and the Government’s own legal fees.

“The total cost of the territory from the first arbitration alone was approximately $39.7 million,” Misick said. “I want this House to sit with that figure for a moment. Eight percent of our annual budget consumed—not by schools, not by roads, not by housing—but by the cost of resolving a dispute with a private contractor.”

Turning to the second arbitration, the Premier said the tribunal ruled that Government must pay $9.3 million in outstanding invoices, while the substantive arbitration over maintenance, performance and Government’s counterclaims continues.

“In plain terms, the contract requires the Government to pay first and dispute later,” Misick said. He added that the ruling “does not mean the arbitration is over” and “does not mean that the Government’s position on performance has been found without merit.”

Despite the legal setbacks, the Premier maintained that Government remains committed to bringing the concession to an orderly conclusion.

“Over the coming months, we will resolve the concession. We will reclaim the hospitals and build a healthier system worthy of the trust that people place in it,” he said.

While Misick did not elaborate on what “resolving the concession” will involve, he said the objective is to replace what he described as an unsustainable arrangement with a healthcare system that is “publicly accountable, financially sound and built on a foundation that will last.”

Editor’s Note: This report is based on Premier Washington Misick’s statement to the House of Assembly on Friday, July 31, 2026. The Government has indicated that a supporting paper detailing the history, financial figures and legal decisions surrounding the hospital concession will be tabled in the House of Assembly.

By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

Turks and Caicos, August 4, 2026 – The People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) has launched a sweeping attack on the Washington Misick administration, warning that the Turks and Caicos Islands is running out of time to prepare for one of the most significant transitions in the country’s modern healthcare system while simultaneously demanding greater transparency over a reported $80 million interim airport terminal project.

Speaking at a July 29 press conference, PDM Leader Douglas Parnell argued that the country has roughly 80 days remaining before Government assumes responsibility for the hospital system following the termination of its agreement with InterHealth Canada. He questioned whether adequate preparations have been made and whether the public has been fully informed about what comes next.

“The people of these islands cannot afford government by announcement, where the headline comes first and the answers come later,” Parnell declared.

He said the hospital issue is too important to become another political battle, insisting that the country deserves to know how Government intends to manage the transition once the existing agreement comes to an end.

“The transition period is very short and next to impossible for even the very best in healthcare to meet the deadline,” Parnell said, referring to what he described as a 90-day transition period. “Only 90 days for the Turks and Caicos Islands Government to take over.”

The PDM leader questioned whether the necessary recruitment, training and operational planning are underway and challenged Government to release its transition strategy.

“We have offered our help. They have refused. They are lost and they are in over their heads,” he said.

Parnell also accused the administration of failing to adequately explain the financial implications surrounding the hospital dispute, calling on Government to disclose the reasoning behind previous arbitration payments, the strategy behind delayed payments over the past 18 months, and the country’s current exposure in ongoing legal proceedings.

“I’m asking the Government not for political rhetoric, but for the truth,” he said. “Explain the approximately $18 million payment last year. Don’t just tell us you had to pay it. Explain why.”

He continued: “Show the country the transition plan.”

Parnell broadened his criticism to include the Providenciales International Airport redevelopment, questioning the reported $80 million interim terminal and calling for greater public disclosure surrounding the project.

“Tell us who is building Terminal B. Tell us what exactly is breaking ground within days. Tell us how this interim terminal fits into the permanent redevelopment,” he said.

The PDM leader argued that the hospital and airport issues reveal a wider concern about governance and accountability.

“Healthcare and the airport may appear to be separate matters, but together they raise a much larger concern about the way this country is being governed,” he said.

He concluded by insisting that transparency must accompany every major public expenditure.

“Turks and Caicos Islands is not a poor country. Our people should expect world-class healthcare and world-class infrastructure, but they should also expect world-class governance, transparency and accountability.”

The Government has since addressed aspects of the hospital dispute during the House of Assembly debate, including financial exposure arising from the InterHealth matter. However, several of the specific questions raised by the PDM regarding the hospital transition timeline, operational preparedness and the airport redevelopment project had not been publicly answered at the time of the party’s press conference, setting the stage for what has become one of the most significant public policy debates now facing the country.

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (July 31st, 2026) – Experience Turks and Caicos, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, has relaunched its Community Connect initiative, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring residents play a central role in shaping the future of tourism across the Turks and Caicos Islands. The meetings began in Grand Turk and Salt Cay, marking the first in a series of engagements that will be held across the country.

Led by the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, the meetings were held on Monday, July 27th, and Tuesday, July 28th, respectively at the Yellowman and Sons Auditorium in Grand Turk and the Salt Shed in Salt Cay.

Community Connect is a series of town hall meetings designed to keep communities informed about the work of Experience Turks and Caicos and the Ministry of Tourism, provide updates on the performance of the tourism industry, and create an open forum where residents can share their concerns, ideas and recommendations for strengthening the tourism product. The initiative reflects the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring tourism development is informed by the voices of the communities it is intended to benefit.

The meetings brought together residents, business owners and tourism stakeholders for open and insightful discussions about the future of tourism on their respective islands. Participants engaged directly with Hon. Jolly and his team, which included Deputy Permanent Secretaries Mr. Arthur Been and Mr. Ronlee James, along with Experience Turks and Caicos Product Development Manager Mrs. Candesha Mills.

Opening the meetings, Hon. Jolly stressed that Community Connect is intended to be a conversation rather than a presentation, giving residents an opportunity to help shape the future of tourism in their communities.

“We are hoping to have a dialogue about the future of tourism in Grand Turk. We want to ensure residents are prepared to take advantage of the opportunities that tourism creates, while also understanding the challenges you see, whether it is cruise tourism development or other issues, so that together we can address those gaps and better prepare our people to benefit,” he said in his welcome address in Grand Turk.

Discussion in Grand Turk covered a wide range of issues, including garbage collection, the culling of donkeys and stray dogs, hotel investment, airlift and the continued development of the island’s tourism sector.

The meeting also featured brief remarks by Mr. Donte Francis of the Grand Turk Enhancement and Sustainability Agency (GTESA), who provided an update on projects completed and those currently in the pipeline. He noted that GTESA has completed 22 projects to date and is awaiting Board approval for an additional 14 initiatives.

In Salt Cay, discussions focused largely on community infrastructure and essential services that, while not directly tourism-related, play an important role in supporting the visitor experience and the island’s long-term tourism potential. Residents raised concerns about the frequency of flights and ferry service to Grand Turk, the absence of ambulance and emergency medical services, and ongoing water supply challenges.

Reflecting on the discussions, Hon. Jolly reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with communities to ensure they play an active role in shaping the future of tourism.

“As I shared during the meetings, our communities have the power to help shape how their islands develop. My responsibility as Minister is to listen, understand the challenges they face, and ensure my Ministry is doing everything possible to create opportunities and remove barriers. I was encouraged by the honest and constructive discussions we had in both Grand Turk and Salt Cay, and I look forward to continuing this conversation across the Turks and Caicos Islands. I want to thank everyone who took the time to attend and share their views.”

Community Connect will continue in the coming months with meetings in North, Middle and South Caicos, as well as communities across Providenciales.