DOH, PARTNERS, BRING MOBILE CLINICS TO STORM-DAMAGED NORTH SHORE

HONOLULU – In response to the medical needs in storm-hit areas, Governor Josh Green has deployed coordinated mobile medical care and social services to the North Shore of Oʻahu, where residents are recovering from damage caused by massive flooding from Kona low storms over the past two weekends.

A partnership that includes the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH), the Hawaiʻi H.O.M.E. Project’s mobile clinic, The Queen’s Medical Center and the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaiʻi, is delivering rapid mobile medical care, telehealth and support services to impacted communities at selected locations today and Wednesday.

The Hawaiʻi H.O.M.E Project Mobile Clinic is at Haleʻiwa Aliʻi Beach Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Wednesday.

Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaiʻi is operating its mobile health clinic in partnership with the KEY Project at Pūpūkea Foodland, 12 noon to 4 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday.

“The massive storm and flooding have created serious health hazards in the hardest-hit areas of Oʻahu,” Governor Green said. “At a time when families are struggling to cope with the destruction around them, it’s imperative that they have ready access to medical resources that can protect them from pathogens and other health risks that increase with heavy rains and contaminated storm water. Having rapid-response medical support can go a long way to speeding up a community’s recovery.”  

“In past emergencies, we’ve seen how quickly health needs become urgent when families are displaced and access to care is interrupted,” said Sunny Chen, executive director of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies. “This response is about filling those immediate gaps with compassion and coordination – from primary care and medication support to telehealth and family resource navigation, so that people can get help quickly, close to home and with dignity.”  

Available services may include:

immediate medical support and primary care-oriented services such as health assessments, triage, wellness checks, basic first aid, evaluation of minor illness or injury, medication review, urgent prescription refill assistance and limited bridge prescriptions when clinically appropriate, telehealth access, and referrals for higher levels of care.

Additional support may include social service navigation, hygiene and infant supplies, transportation assistance, health coverage and benefits navigation, behavioral health referrals, and coordination with public health nurses and community partners.

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