Lions In Sight held a three-day clinic at Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in November 2023. Playa del Carmen is a coastal resort town in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is located along the Yucatán Peninsula's Riviera Maya on the Caribbean shoreline.
The clinic was hosted by the Playa del Carmen Lions Club, and was held in a local union building. Over the three days the team saw 1250 patients.
The U.S. clinic team consisted of two optometrists from California, one optometrist from Reno, five optometry students from the Marshall B. Ketchum University Lions Club, and volunteers from the Campbell Lions Club (CA) and the Reno Host Lions Club (NV). The Mexican clinic participants included 14 translators, 20 local Lions Club volunteers and two local optometrists.
Every patient who needed glasses received them on site or with a special order through CEREDIL, an associate organization Lions In Sight works with in Mexic. The team’s doctors completed on-site evaluations of patients with cataracts, pterygia or other visual health issues. Health checks, provided by local medical personnel and supported by the Global Initiative for Health and Wellness, included blood pressure and blood glucose testing.
After the clinic, some of the team members spent a few days enjoying the archeological site at Tulum, swimming in a cenote and snorkeling with turtles.