Hundreds of people from DeKalb County and other areas will be able to obtain free health care services on Saturday and Sunday, March 28 & 29 in Smithville
Remote Area Medical will be setting up a Free Health Care Clinic at DeKalb County High School for anyone including those without medical insurance, or those who are un-insured, under-insured, unemployed, under-employed, and/or who cannot afford to pay for services.
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The clinic operates on a “first-come, first-served basis” and will open for registration at 6:00 a.m. each day. Patients may show up as early as 3:00 a.m. to obtain a ticket. Be prepared for a long wait.
The following services will be available at this RAM clinic: Dental (cleaning, fillings, and extractions), Vision (eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, and eyeglasses made on-site – as time and supplies allow), and Medical (general medical consults, women’s health exams).
“Patients needing care will be seen on a first-come, first served basis regardless of income qualifications,” said County Mayor Tim Stribling. “Patients will have to choose between dental and vision services but they will be able to seek women’s health or a general medical consultation in addition. They will be doing pap smears for women. They’re talking about maybe being able to do mammograms. They are not for sure yet. They will be giving flu shots. Dental care is limited to cleanings, extractions, and a small number of fillings. Vision care will involve an eye exam, with glasses often made on site depending on the complexity of a patient’s prescription,” he said.
Remote Area Medical (RAM) is a non-profit, volunteer corps dedicated to serving mankind by providing free health care, dental care, eye care, and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world.
Founded in 1985, Remote Area Medical is a publicly supported all-volunteer charitable organization. Volunteer doctors, nurses, and support workers participate in expeditions (at their own expense). Medical supplies, medicines, facilities and vehicles are donated.
“The number (patients) to be served depends upon how many medical professionals they have. The more dentists they have on site the more tickets they can give out. The same way with the vision. The more doctors they have there to do eye tests the more tickets they will be able to give out. I talked with them Wednesday and they plan to have a good general support staff coming and they look for a good clinic,” said County Mayor Stribling.
Medical professionals along with anyone else wishing to volunteer may sign up at www.ramusa.org. or you may call the County Mayor’s office at 615-597-5175.
The county will be responsible for making sure the medical professionals and staff who visit here have a place to lodge for two nights and that their meals are provided. “We are going to feed them and we’ve got some churches and organizations that have volunteered to do that. On Saturday morning, the Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church will be feeding breakfast. Lunch on Saturday will be by the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department. Supper on Saturday night will be by the Smithville Church of God. Then on Sunday morning the Smithville First Baptist Church will provide breakfast and lunch will be by the Smithville Church of Christ. We must house the doctors and their staff. We’ll be doing that at Lakeside Resort. We’ll put them up Friday and Saturday night. They will try to finish by noon or 1:00 p.m. Sunday so they can pack up all their equipment and move off campus by about 4:00 p.m.” County Mayor Stribling said.
Anyone who wants to make a donation may contact the County Mayor’s Office at 615-597-5175. “We’ve had some businesses and civic organizations that have donated. None of the money donated will go to pay medical professionals. It’s just to house and feed them and for other expenses while they are here,” said County Mayor Stribling