Direct Relief International announced that it is providing additional health care assistance to the people affected by the tornados and storms. Direct Relief will provide grants totaling $258,306 to five clinics and health centers in regions of Missouri and Illinois that suffered extensive damage from tornados and flooding. The funding will enable these clinics, which have experienced economic damage and surges in patient loads since the storms, to continue to provide healthcare service to low-income, uninsured patients. The funding will also help prepare two of the clinics for future emergencies.
In response to the devastating tornados and storms in the Midwest, East and Southeast this year, Direct Relief has provided $3.8 million (wholesale) worth of specifically requested medicines and health supplies to 40 clinics and local response agencies in 14 states. The medical aid includes over 6,000 doses of vaccines, first aid supplies and medications to manage chronic conditions. Continuity of care and access to medications and supplies are essential for people with chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma, which are seen in relatively high incidence among clinic patient populations.
“We are fortunate to be able to partner with the health clinics that have been a lifeline to so many in the aftermath of the tornado that struck six months ago,” said Damon Taugher, Director of Direct Relief USA. “Safety net clinics are the medical homes for many low-income, uninsured people. These clinics played an integral role for vulnerable people in their communities immediately after the tornadoes, and they continue to do so. The tornado may have lasted only a few minutes, but it caused the type of personal, financial, and property devastation that lasts for a very long time.”