Fair Offers Free Health, Dental Care

More than 40 physicians from throughout the country and hundreds of volunteers have teamed up for a second time this year to provide Panorama City residents with free medical, dental and social services on Blythe Street this Sunday.

According to Maritza de Artan, director of the Immaculate Heart Community Blythe Street Project, a nonprofit community organization, “about 80% to 90% of the people in this neighborhood are medically indigent and are ineligible for [government] medical services.” As a result, some turn to desperate measures and purchase medicines that are not specifically prescribed for their illness.

De Artan, herself an immigrant from Mexico, said, “I know how it feels. These families come here with a dream for their children. But it is hard to get a job, and most of them have no money or insurance.”

To meet the medical needs of the Blythe Street neighborhood, Immaculate Heart Community created Casa Esperanza, or House of Hope, from two apartments where free clinic services are provided and English classes are held four times a week. At a similar free clinic held in January, about 300 people received medical care.

“This time we wanted to make sure we would serve a lot more people,” said De Artan, adding that she expects at least 1,000 community members at Sunday’s event. Blythe Street will be closed for the fair to make room for the 30 to 40 tents and the new 35-foot Great Love Mobile Clinic that houses an examination table and two dental chairs for oral or minor surgical procedures.

Other free services available will be pediatric care, acupuncture, eye checkups, mammograms, pap smears, diabetes exams and haircuts.

One tent will also house a makeshift pharmacy where patients can fill their prescriptions. Packages of household goods and cleaners will also be distributed to parents, and children will receive school supplies.

The event is funded by private donations and staffed by volunteers. “Some [of the people] don’t have transportation. Our mission is to go to any needy area and provide them service,” said Debra Boudreaux, clinic administrator and spokeswoman for the event. She is the public relations coordinator for one of the event’s sponsors, the Buddhist Tzu-Chi Foundation. The nonprofit foundation, which has an office in Northridge, maintains a free clinic in Alhambra.

The fair will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 14612 Blythe St. For more information, call (818) 786-1076.