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A Moment in Mental Health

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My Q&A with Dr. Alicia Malcolm

 

  1. How many clients are you serving at this time or how many mentally challenged individuals are registered with the Department?

The Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence sees an average of 1,100 persons in our clinics per year. This number has steadily increased as persons become more aware of the importance of taking care of their mental health.

  1. What are the top three or five leading mental health issues for TCI?

The leading cause for consultations are for Anxiety/ stress related disorders and Mood Disorders such as Depression.

  1. How many do you believe are going undiagnosed and therefore unsupported?

Based on psychological research, there does not appear to be a significant difference in the overall prevalence of mental health disorders between the genders. However, there are some noticeable differences in the types of mental illnesses that men and women struggle with.  Some more common mental disorders in men include:

  1. Do you think or do we have stats to show if mental health is a larger issue for men or women?

Antisocial personality disorders. For women, common mental disorders include: Depression, Anxiety and PTSD.

Women present more frequently in our clinics than men. However, this does not mean that mental health issues are larger in females. Typically across the globe you’ll find that men are less likely than women to seek help for a mental health condition.

  1. How many are getting treatment/care/support?

It is unclear exactly how many people across the nation have undiagnosed mental health conditions. However, our encouragement is that anyone who is experiencing any sort of mental or emotional issues that create impairment in their daily functioning contact us so that we can assess and provide the necessary intervention. On average we provide treatment and care for about 15- 20 in our treatment abroad program and as mentioned previously an average of 1,100 in country per year.

  1. What is the status of the Mental Health Facility; seems it has been stagnant for many years now?

The mental health facility project is ongoing and it is anticipated to open early next year (2022). Recruitment of staff is actively being done while remaining construction works are being completed.

  1. I notice that your budget has nearly doubled in 10 years; what does this mean for Mental Health in TCI?

The increase in the budget reflects a number of things but in essence it means that there will be additional mental health professionals available to provide care and treatment for clients. In addition, new and improved forms of medication are being utilized with patients who may have become treatment resistant.

  1. How many mental health doctors do we have country wide?  What is your team size?

The mental health team is currently comprised of  eight clinicians: 4 doctors and 4 therapists. There are 12 new positions that have been added and recruitment is being done to fill them.

  1. How many children with mental health issues; and what kind?

On average 30 – 40 children are seen in our clinics per year. The top three mental health issues are Depression, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Trauma Related- Sexual Abuse.

  1. What step would make the biggest impact on an improved delivery of care/service to mental health in Turks and Caicos from your experience?

Some steps that will assist in the continued improvement of mental health care delivery in TCI include: building local capacity through ongoing training of general practitioners; completion of mental health facility to serve persons with acute and chronic mental health conditions; ensuring greater access to services e.g through the continued use of telehealth services and strengthening community outreach and educational programs.

 

Dr. Alicia B. Malcolm (Psy.D.) became Director of the Department of Mental Health & Substance Dependence of the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2013.

 

Health

From 54 New Cases in July to Zero in August: TCI’s COVID Turnaround

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

Turks and Caicos, September 6, 2025 – COVID-19 fears in the Turks and Caicos Islands that once had residents on edge are now giving way to a sense of relief. The Ministry of Health and Human Services reports a dramatic reversal: from dozens of new cases in July to zero cases and zero hospitalizations today.

Between August 17 and 23, 2025, officials confirmed no new cases, no hospitalizations, and no new deaths. Just two recoveries were recorded, bringing the national recovery tally to 6,866. The total confirmed cases since 2020 stand at 6,922, with deaths unchanged at 41. Health officials say August has been relatively quiet overall, with 19 new cases and recoveries recorded for the month — a fraction of what the islands faced just weeks earlier.

The contrast could not be sharper. The most concerning bulletin came in mid-July, when the Ministry reported 54 new cases in a single week. Ten were fresh positives, while the other 44 came from a backlog of April samples. At that time, two new hospitalizations were recorded, and the islands mourned one additional COVID-related death, bringing the total to 41. It was a sobering reminder that the virus was still circulating, pushing recoveries to 6,845 and raising the cumulative case count to 6,910. The July spike stirred fear among residents and renewed calls for vigilance, as community spread and delayed lab results painted a worrying picture.

Fast forward to late August, and the numbers tell a very different story. Not only are new cases negligible, but the hospitals are reporting no COVID-19 patients at all. Officials say testing continues across a wide range of categories, and the Ministry urges the public to stay cautious: wash hands, wear masks in crowded spaces, protect the vulnerable, and get vaccinated. But the tone now is one of optimism.

Since the pandemic began in 2020, Turks and Caicos has recorded nearly 7,000 cases in total, with 6,866 recoveries and 41 deaths. The islands’ small population means every case has felt significant, and surges like July’s were especially unsettling. But today’s figures suggest the country has reached a new stage: COVID-19 is no longer the disruptive force it was. The Ministry credits continued public vigilance and the accessibility of free testing and vaccines at government clinics. While the numbers are cause for celebration, health leaders are careful not to declare the fight over. The Ministry’s latest bulletin reminds residents to maintain hygienic practices, follow self-isolation guidelines if infected, and ensure vaccinations are up to date.

The pandemic may not be entirely behind the Turks and Caicos, but compared to the frightening figures of July, the near-zero landscape of August offers a powerful sign of hope.

The Ministry released the bulletin on September 2, confirming that for the week of August 17–23, no new cases, hospitalizations, or deaths were recorded — a sharp contrast to the surge just weeks earlier.

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Health

Turks and Caicos Islands Health Delegation Completes Strategic Visits to Florida and Cayman Islands to Advance Health Sector Reform and Strengthen Treatment Abroad Programme  

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MoHHS Team-Broward Health

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 22 August 2025 — A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MOHHS) has successfully concluded strategic working visits to Florida and the Cayman Islands from August 5–13, 2025. The mission aimed to strengthen the Treatment Abroad Programme, explore innovative health system models, and advance the Turks and Caicos Islands’ health sector reform agenda through strategic regional partnerships.

Delegation Members:

  • Hon. Kyle Knowles – Minister of Health and Human Services

    MoHHS Team with Health City Executive Management Team

  • Mrs. Desiree Lewis – Permanent Secretary, Health and Human Services
  • Mr. Lynrod Brooks – Director, Health Policy and Planning
  • Ms. Florinda Talbot – Contract Performance Manager
  • Mrs. Romaine Missick-Smith – CEO, Health Regulations Authority
  • Ms. Jasmine Malcolm – Executive Administrator, MOHHS

Minister of Health and Human Services, Hon. Kyle Knowles, highlighted the significance of these engagements:

“These visits were not ceremonial; they were strategic, focused, and impactful. In Florida, we reinforced partnerships with leading healthcare providers to ensure TCI patients referred overseas receive the highest standards of clinical care and patient support. In the Cayman Islands, our mission was two-fold: to study the operations of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority as a model to guide the establishment of our own Health Services Authority, and to strengthen ties with Cayman-based treatment partners, where many of our patients are referred under the Treatment Abroad Programme. Both visits underscored that small island states share many health challenges, and that collaboration, innovation, and adapting best practices to our local context are essential to achieving better health outcomes for our people.”

Florida – Strengthening the Treatment Abroad Programme

MoHHS Team with Cayman Minsterial officials

During the period August 5–9, the delegation visited Broward Medical Center, University of Miami Health System, Cleveland Clinic, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and the International Reinsurance Managers Network. They also toured REVA Air Ambulance Services to review medical evacuation operations and patient transfer management.                                                                                                                                                     Discussions centered on patient care pathways, specialized services in ophthalmology, cardiology, oncology, and pediatrics, family-centered care models, advanced telemedicine for pre- and post-treatment consultations, and reinsurance strategies for high-cost overseas cases. Key outcomes include agreements to expand telehealth consultations, develop a standardized referral package to reduce delays, explore reinsurance arrangements to safeguard public health budgets, and establish specialized pediatric transfer protocols.

Cayman Islands – Health Sector Reform and Treatment Abroad Partnerships
From August 10–13, the delegation engaged with senior executives at Health City Cayman Islands, including Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil (Clinical Director), Shomari Scott (Chief Business Development Officer), Rebecca Brooks (Head of Marketing and Sales), and Ingrid Harris (Sales and Marketing). The team toured two hospital facilities and held in-depth discussions with Lizzette Yearwood, Chief Executive Officer along with leadership staff of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority

The focus was two-fold:

  1. Health Sector Reform – Examining governance, financial management, and operational structures of the Cayman Islands HSA model

    MoHHS Team with CEO and senior official Cayman HSA 

    to inform TCI’s development of its own Health Services Authority.

  2. Treatment Abroad Strengthening – Reviewing current referral arrangements with Cayman healthcare partners to enhance patient care coordination and improve treatment pathways for TCI patients referred to Cayman.

The delegation also met with Honourable Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Minister for Health, Environment, Sustainability, and Honourable G. Wayne Panton, Parliamentary Secretary for Health. The team concluded with a meeting with Acting Premier Hon. Gary B. Rutty and Cabinet members, reaffirming the shared commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes through regional collaboration.

Next Steps

The Ministry will incorporate lessons learned from these visits into ongoing health reform planning, ensuring that the proposed Health Services Authority is tailored to TCI’s needs while reflecting regional best practices. Efforts will continue to ensure that the Treatment Abroad Programme delivers efficient, sustainable, and patient-centered care.

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Bahamas News

PHA Launches AI-Powered Pilot Program to Support Seniors

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Nassau, The Bahamas – In a groundbreaking move for senior care, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) officially launched the Remember 2 (RM2.ai) Pilot Program on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

The initiative introduces RM2.ai, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform that supports seniors with medication reminders, vital sign monitoring (blood pressure, blood sugar, and hydration levels), and fall prevention. The program also addresses elopement—when seniors with dementia or other cognitive impairments wander or become lost.

As part of the pilot, participants will receive a smartwatch linked to the RM2.ai mobile app. The technology is powered by the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) and will also be available to ALIV customers.

The launch ceremony was held at the PHA training room and Dr. Indira Minus-Grimes, Medical Services Advisor at PHA acted as the Mistress of Ceremony.

Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Health & Wellness, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, praised the collaboration behind the project and highlighted its potential impact.

“Seniors are vulnerable due to chronic illnesses and cognitive decline from diseases such as Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Darville said. “They are also highly susceptible to falls, which often result in fractures and a survival rate that decreases by up to 70 per cent. This program will significantly improve the quality of geriatric care in The Bahamas.”

Dr. Darville added that the platform will reduce hospitalizations, ease the burden on caregivers, and give seniors greater autonomy, dignity, and independence.

BTC CEO, Sameer Bhatti, said the company was proud to partner with the PHA, noting BTC’s history of supporting seniors in various capacities.

Corlette Deveaux, CEO of RM2.ai and a Bahamian innovator currently residing in the U.S., expressed her excitement at bringing this first-of-its-kind technology to her home country. She credited investor and senior advocate Burt Patel, himself a senior, for funding the initiative.

At the close of the pilot, healthcare professionals will review data collected to ensure the highest quality of service delivery for seniors.

Also in attendance at the press conference were Deputy Managing Director, PHA, Dr. Keva Thompson; Registrar, Geriatric Hospital, Dr. Krystle Rolle and Manager, Legal Services Unit, Pamela Jones.

(Photo Courtesy of Tamara McKenzie/BTC)

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