CHCC mobile clinic still ongoing

Mobile clinics of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and the mobilization of several other health departments under CHCC are still ongoing.

As of yesterday, the Community Guidance Center and the WIC program have been up at the Kagman Community Center while the rest of the mobile clinics stationed themselves at the Office on Aging in China Town.

Jeremy Sasamoto, CHCC emergency operation center chief and Division of Public Health Immunization manager, said new residents were moved to the two shelters from other areas that were closed.

Sasamoto assured that their clinics will be ongoing so long as there is a need for it.

“We have inpatient pharmacy here, doctors, nurses, HOME visiting, CGC, and other hospital departments and staff doing all the needed help for the mobile clinic. Aside from that, Rota and Tinian hospital staff are here as well,” Sasamoto said.

Margaret Aldan, administrator for the Division of Public Health, noted that the clinics are intended to respond to the health needs of residents who are currently staying in shelters.

Several typhoon survivors living in shelters commended CHCC for its major response on health following Typhoon Soudelor.

Medicines were being distributed, doctors on site were attending to patients, and other programs under DPH were assisting in the process.

Up at the Kagman Community Center, WIC program clinic manager Ruth Sablan said that they were focusing on the shelters due to the residents’ lack of transportation.

“We’re here because we know that people are challenged with transportation so we are here to give our basic services that we usually do at our office. We’re reaching out to those who are not able to come to us,” Sablan said.

On CGC’s side, psychologist Dr. Glenda George, together with CGC evaluation services James Arriola and administrative coordinator Kit Iguel, were assisting with mental health assessment among the shelter victims.

“We started this Monday and initially we went to all the shelters. As of today, many of the shelters have consolidated but we will still be going to all the shelters and doing empowerment and outreach into the community,” Arriola said.

CGC distributed supplies, offered meaningful support, helped with coping skills, information on community resources and linkages, and education.

“What we’re doing is offering people in the shelters some of the basic information following a natural disaster and our services in anyway that we can help,” George said. “This is sort of a mental and behavioral health support.”

George noted that they will soon be mobilizing house to house when they are done.