By TCN News,
Baltimore (US): Healthcare is a big issue for new immigrants, especially elderly people. While Medicare is available to virtually all citizens, starting at age 65, immigrants legally present in the US for less than five years are not eligible and private insurance companies generally do not offer health insurance plans for those over 65.
Although there are health insurance options, but these are usually catastrophic traveler’s insurance. They usually have a very high deductible and they are very expensive. In view of these harsh realities facing elderly community members from the subcontinent, the Masjid Gulzar E Madina of Islamic Center Millford Mill Road, Pikesville, Maryland took a bold initiative to organize a first health fair on Sunday November 23, a release said here.
A number of area community organizations, such as the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) – Metropolitan Washington, Philippines Nurses Association, Chinese Culture and Community Center, Muslim Community Clinic Inc., Silver Spring, Capital Region Telugu Society, Kerala Cultural Organization and Hindu Seva, co-sponsored this event.
A large number of physicians, nurses and healthcare workers volunteered their resources and worked tirelessly to provide their services for a large number of attendees covering a wide range of ages. An easy access to physicians of diverse specialties under one roof provided convenient consultation for wide range of medical issues.
In addition to primary care, the medical specialties available for free consultations in a privacy setting included primary care, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology-oncology, otolaryngology, orthopedics, rheumatology and medical ID cards for the community.
Colgate-sponsored dental van provided dental consultation for children from ages 1 to 12. Maryland Physicians Care Van made nutritional healthy food, Amerigroup sponsored Moon Bounce for children and Columbia Lite House Van did eye sight screenings. The health fair also provided massage therapy and yoga enthusiasts displayed their skills and love for healthy living. Besides yoga sessions on site, there were diabetes and cancer prevention education vendors, healthy living demos and advice booths. Mental and behavioral health information, often a taboo topic, was sensitively offered by Counselors Helping South Asians/Indians (Chai). The Samar Group obtained bone marrow sign ups and the Washington Regional Transplant enrolled organ donor.
“The Metropolitan Washington Chapter of GOPIO is very pleased to be a part of this outstanding health fair, which was made possible by the collaboration of physicians, allied medical personnel, county and state health agencies, dedicated volunteers and Masjid management,” said Dr Zafar Iqbal, president of the GOPIO DC chapter.
This successful event was coordinated by Mayur Mody and the management of Islamic Center thanked him for providing excellent leadership with efficient and indefatigable energy. The logistics for medical team was coordinated by Dr Surinder Singh Gill and Dr Alif Manijwala while Dr Sukhpal headed the team of volunteers. The health fair was open to people of all different ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds and over 400 people received medical consultation.