Duane Sands, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, was born in Nassau to Basil and Roberta Sands. He was educated at St. Anne’s High School in Nassau, Cheshire Academy in Connecticut and Tufts University in Massachusetts, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. After obtaining his Doctor of Medicine degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland in 1986, and completing his residency in General Surgery and Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at Wayne State University in Michigan in 1994, Dr. Sands returned home and began serving the Bahamian people as a consultant physician at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH). He has served as Director of Accident and Emergency at PMH, and then as the Hospital’s Chief of Surgery. He also practices at Doctors Hospital and the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Institute of the Bahamas Ltd. Duane served as Chairman of The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation between 2011 and 2012 and is a former Chairman of the Bahamas Medical Council and Director of the Central Bank of the Bahamas. He previously served as Director of the Public Hospitals Authority, Vice President of Medical Affairs and Member of the Board of Directors of Doctors Hospital and Director of Physicians Alliance Ltd. Duane was the FNM candidate for the Elizabeth Constituency in the 2012 General Election and he was appointed and named Bahamas Minister of Health in 2016.