Tropic Care brings free medical and dental clinics to Big Island residents

About 350 Hawaii Island residents had already received care by Monday, including Puna resident Ramon Molina, who said he had not had his eyes checked in a long time before getting a free exam at Keaau High School. The Tropic Care clinics run through June 28 and are filling a short-term access gap for residents in Puna and Kaū, where routine medical, dental and vision appointments can be hard to find and even harder to reach.

The clinics are operating at Keaau High School, Kekuaokalani Gym in Kailua-Kona and Ocean View Community Center, with outreach sites in Kaū at OKK Farmers Market, St. Jude’s Episcopal Church and Kaū High School. Services include medical exams, school and sports physicals, behavioral-health consultations, dental extractions and fillings, optometry care and prescription glasses. The clinics are first-come, first-served and open to all community members, with no health insurance, identification or proof of citizenship required.

Residents should expect possible wait times and bring water, snacks and personal necessities. Molina said the free optometry service made it easier for him to update his prescription.

Tropic Care is part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training program. Uniformed members from the Army Reserve, Marine Reserve, Navy Reserve and Hawaii Air National Guard are taking part in the mission.

Hawaii District Health Officer John Kolman said Tropic Care brings care directly into communities where access to medical, dental and vision services can be limited. Mayor Kimo Alameda said the event helps the community “turn the tide” by providing no-cost medical care. A nine-day 2018 clinic at Keaau High School offered free medical screening, school sports physicals, dental services, eye exams, hearing screenings, nutritional consultation, veteran services and prescription eye glasses, with 40 community resource agencies onsite.