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Marines to provide free medical, dental services on Tinian
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Posted on May 16 2012
A group of doctors and health experts from the U.S. Marine Aircraft Group-12 now on Tinian for Exercise Geiger Fury 2012 will be providing free medical and dental services to Tinian residents.
Marine Lt. Cdr. and Dr. Matthew Doubrava, senior medical officer/group surgeon of MAG-12 out of Japan, said the Tinian medical mission team includes two doctors, one dentist, two dental technicians, and a nurse practitioner specializing in pediatrics.
Doubrava, who serves as the primary care provider for active duty personnel assigned to MAG-12, said he wants to make sure there’s appropriate medical coverage for the expeditionary group on Tinian.
“And also we’re going to volunteer our spare time in the clinic,” he said in an interview on Tinian on Monday.
The medical practitioners have secured temporary licensing from the CNMI government to be able to provide health services on Tinian.
Freddy Hofschneider, acting resident director of Tinian Health Center, said in a phone interview Tuesday that they hope THC will be able to start accepting appointment requests by Thursday so that they would have an idea how many would want to avail of the free dental and medical services.
“In these tough times, these free dental and medical services from the U.S. Marines is greatly appreciated,” Hofschneider said.
Hofschneider and the Marines medical team met yesterday to finalize the details of the medical and dental mission. Hofschneider said THC will assign an individual that will receive appointment requests from the community.
Lt. Cdr. Aisha Bakkar, public affairs officers of the Marine Forces Pacific Guam and CNMI, said that it’s a high priority to be able to provide community service to Tinian.
Doubrava said if THC does not have the supplies and the Marines can’t provide them either, then the medical/dental team will only provide their time for certain cases. He said immunization will also be part of their services.
“It should be continuous…That’s the idea, it should not be for one day only,” he said.
Some 100 U.S. Marines are now on Tinian and another 100 or so will be arriving in the next few days for the largest military exercise in the CNMI in years.
