Free Medical, Dental, Vision Offered at RivCo Fairgrounds This Weekend

By City News Service:

INDIO, CA - Free health, dental and vision services will be provided Friday through Sunday by nonprofit California CareForce for its 4th annual Coachella Valley Clinic.

Patients who make their way to the Riverside County Fairgrounds will be served on a first-come, first-serve basis, with no income, I.D., insurance or other eligibility requirements necessary to receive treatment.

The clinic will feature 70 dental stations, 20 medical exam rooms and 10 vision lanes for an anticipated 900 people each day. Free prescription eyeglasses, dental cleanings, fillings and extractions will be among the services provided.

Patient numbers will be given out starting at 5 a.m., with clinic services to begin at 6 a.m.

The volunteer clinic has provided an estimated $1.05 million in services over its four-year run, according to California CareForce president and volunteer coordinator Pamela Congdon.

"It's so rewarding to see so many receiving the care they need," said Congdon. "These patients are so grateful that somebody cares about them. They feel abandoned by the system."

Free, ADA accessible shuttles will be available to drive patients from two separate locations, one in Desert Hot Springs and one in Coachella.

For more information, visit www.americancab.net/free-clinic-rides and www.californiacareforce.org

(Image via Shutterstock)