By Louis Llovio, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.
Aug. 2–An annual health fair that brought more than 1,500 volunteer doctors, nurses, dentists, optometrists and others to far Southwest Virginia last weekend performed $1.7 million worth of medical work for free, Remote Area Medical reported yesterday.
The three-day health fair in Wise County treated 2,670 patients. Nearly 1,000 people were turned away.
“We just couldn’t take care of them all; we didn’t have enough people,” said Jean Brady Jolly, volunteer coordinator with RAM.
Jolly said health-care professionals worked about 14 hours a day to see as many patients as possible. They performed the following services:
–Medical — 1,991 medical procedures and 156 mammograms. –Vision — 1,088 exams, 1,003 of which resulted in pairs of glasses being made. –Dental — 3,896 extractions, 1,833 fillings, 21 full sets of dentures, 249 cleanings, 45 root canals, 59 sealants, 15 stainless steel crowns, 1,113 X-rays and two oral biopsies, for 1,342 patients.
The health fair is the only time many see a doctor all year, organizers said.
RAM, which is based in Knoxville, Tenn., has provided medical care for the poor and uninsured in the United States and around the world since 1985. Contact Louis Llovio at (804) 649-6348 or [email protected].
—–
To see more of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesdispatch.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Comments