Introduction
Opening a free clinic is one of the most humanitarian ways of giving back to the community. The community particularly the low income citizens are searching for means to provide easy and affordable healthcare to. This has come as a result of employers reducing employee’s benefits due to a failing economy this in turn causing the cost of obtaining a medical insurance cover very expensive. Opening a free clinic may stand to achieve and benefit the community by providing these primary medical attention to the underprivileged in the community. The development of a free medical clinic solely depends on the support of the community at large. It takes a group of self -driven and compassionate individuals with a vision, aspiration and commitment to help the uninsured. Nevertheless, starting a clinic may not be simple as it takes numerous procedures that may include; sourcing supplies, legal arrangements, recruiting of volunteers, identifying viable funding raising mechanisms and identifying a reliable consultancy team that will help in accounting, insurance and legal matters. This however depends on whether the clinic will be individually owned or collaboration with organizations such as Volunteers in Health Care (VIH) and Volunteers in Medicine that assist societies to start free clinics.
Economic status and its effect on health care:
Low socioeconomic status (SES) has its links to low income. People with low income lack medical insurance covers, have poor quality health care and seek health care less often or when they do it’s an emergency (Swartz, 1994). Taken together, current research suggests that, although numerous issues affect patient gratification of the healthcare system, SES is among the most significant factor simply because it commands a great deal of the health care system where people receive care. Research also shows that while low-income residents have many complaints about their health care, middle-income respondents have few Thus, this puts into consideration the importance of social class. Thus grouping together on the basis of SES people who have had a totally different experience of health and health care system may be highly deceptive. (O'Malley AS, 2002, Jul-Aug: 12(4): 191-203.).
Special needs of the population:
It is very important to have a clear knowledge of the community you want to serve hence it is quite vital in deciding on the basic services the free clinic will be offering based on the location it’s to be set up. Therefore to be able to determine this, you will need to obtain information about the special needs of the uninsured residents from the local health center database or the health department in that area. For instance, you may conclude that there is significantly large number of uninsured working adults in your community from the data, or you may conclude that there is a vital necessity for a medical clinic that offers health care services for a drifting population. In such an instance, you will require the services of a bilingual staff to assist in communication between doctors and patients. Having done that and for maximum satisfaction, fix the best days and hours of operation that will enable the physicians to offer the free services maximally, which is why for the most part of it, it is very significant that you have funding so you can open two or three days in a week or at least seven times a month. Also ensure that no charge whatsoever is charged to your clients as this may make your clinic automatically ineligible to funding from donors (1). Steps involved in opening a free health clinic:
Recruitment of a team of volunteers:
Bring together a team of volunteer doctors and nurses, an accountant, a lawyer who is totally conversant with medical laws and regulations and who understands not for profit organizations, a journalist student who will assist in advertising in local hospitals and churches and at least one insurance specialist to advice patients on importance of medical insurance cover, fundraiser co-coordinator and a few office staff. This team will help you gather required information required to achieve this charitable task. (2)
Location:
It is very important for your clinic to have affiliation to at least one organization within the community, for example, a local hospital, church, a university or any other organization. This helps in that it offers free onsite space for your clinic and also encourages volunteers. If you decide to have no affiliations then it means you will have to buy or rent commercial space. (3)
Solicit for funds and donations:
Seek out for donations of medical supplies including pharmaceuticals for your patients, however the patients will have to get medical prescription from a specific chemist. Write a grant application to banks, churches, government agencies, well-wishers and charities. Contact retired doctors, private clinics and even university students with a major in medicine to see how they can assist. Also approach furniture suppliers and to solicit fund or donations of office furniture and equipment’s (4).
Strong resource base: Develop a strong community resource base and case monitoring activities at the clinic in order for eligible patients to be able to access Medicare and also assisted with access to such service. Free medical clinic should only attend to persons who are not eligible for any access or who are uninsured. (5)
Benefits of the project: * Decline in uninsured persons: The services provided at the free clinic offer eligible patients with community insurance hence the decline of uninsured patients in the society. * Low morbidity and mortality rates : studies have shown that patients with minimal access health care die early in life. * Patient care: the uninsured patients are treated as first priority. This defines the true purpose the clinic. * It acts as a project to offer opportunities to doctors an opportunity to offer services at free will to the needy. * It offers the community an opportunity to be directly involved in supporting the needy * The clinic eases pressure on the already busy emergency departments in the local hospitals.
Conclusion:
In conclusion it is evident that free medical clinics are a significant project in assisting the needy in the community to access primary services. It is therefore important for well-wishers and the government to take part in funding such projects in a bid to extend gratitude to the underprivileged in the society.
References
http://www.ehow.com/how_5209635_start-health-clinic.html
O'Malley AS, F. C. (2002, Jul-Aug: 12(4): 191-203.). Womens Health Issues.The mismatch between urban women's preferences for and experiences with primary care.
Swartz, K. (1994). DYNAMICS OF PEOPLE WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE, Don't let numbers fool you. JAMA.