CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Volunteers with the Muslim Community Center of Chesterfield and ICNA Relief partnered to host a free clinic Sunday for people in need of healthcare.
"Within this community, especially in this area, there is a big need for basic services," said Dr. Sidra Butt, an associate dentist at Spencer Dental.
The Muslim Community Center of Chesterfield and ICNA Relief partnered together to connect with people in areas in need of healthcare.
Kaiynat Amir, a daughter of one of the organizers, said the goal of the community health clinics is to connect with "underserved" areas.
"We’re trying to reach more of a population where if insurance is an issue, they get information about that," Amir said. "Or if it's an issue in terms of not being able to get to those physicians, they can have more access."
The General Assembly voted in 2018 to expand the requirements of Medicaid, which gave more than 300,000 Virginians the opportunity to be insured at the start of 2019.
However, for many who do not meet the new extended poverty level were uncertain about what to do next.
"I do have plenty of cases where I come across people who literally are just like $100, $200 from not making the threshold. And that's a sad situation, because those people are really in dire need of having proper full coverage," United Healthcare agent Anjum Ali said.
Which is why Amir believes free health clinics like the one on Sunday are critical.
"They’re learning that there are so many more opportunities for them to get the care that they need," Amir explained. "And they don’t have to fully rely on just going to the hospital when they get really ill or putting things off to where you can’t do anything or your in a position to where it's tough to get better."
Click here for more information on upcoming clinics and events held by the Muslim Community Center of Chesterfield in partnership with ICNA Relief.
