EUGENE, Ore (KMTR) -- Occupy Eugene has moved back in to downtown Eugene once again, but now with a different purpose as medical staff with the movement have created a new weekly, free medical clinic.
The new Occupy Eugene medical clinic opened up Sunday afternoon at the corner of 7th Avenue and Pearl Street in downtown Eugene.
The clinic is an off-shoot of the services volunteers were offering in the middle of the Occupy Eugene camps that existed throughout Eugene.
The plan is to open the clinic up every weekend to help those in need.
Several local medical professionals are running the clinic, including registered nurses, doctors, EMT’s and alternative medicine professionals.
All of the work is volunteer and legal.
“There are some free clinics, but we're not doing a near enough job to take care of all of the people who need it,” says Dr. Peter, a medical professional volunteering with the Occupy Eugene medical clinic.
Volunteers say while this is a great first step, they already have their sights set on making a more permanent “street medicine clinic,” to offer help for those who have no way to afford it or even get to it.
“There will be an opportunity to go to some of the people who aren't able to get care, to go to them, keep them out of the emergency room, and kind of help the whole medical system and the problems that we face a nation, trying to provide cost effective care to all of our people,” says Dr. Peter.
With the current Occupy medical tent at the Federal Building. Volunteers are helping treat minor ailments, illnesses and injuries and do basic screenings.
Supply wise, Occupy Eugene has a small budget for the medical clinic. It is looking for more donations though.
