BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — An array of free medical assessment services and testing will be offered by the Martin County Health Department during this weekend’s annual Harvest Festival. Those who participate will be entered into a drawing to win various prizes.

Eric Mills, the new Martin County Health Department director, is seizing the opportunity to provide much-needed services at no cost to anyone who wants it. The health pavilion will be set up in the Martin County Business Center parking lot.

“We have a qualified team here at the health department who will be spending their day administering preventive health screenings that include monitoring basic vitals such as blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen levels, while other team members will be checking cholesterol levels and A1C (blood glucose), and performing black lung screenings, psychological screenings and referrals and HIV and hepatitis testing,” said Mills.

“We will also pass out Narcan and teach the public how and when to administer it.”

Mills said that a health and wellness passport card will be given to all who visit the pavilion, and once they complete the testing at each separate station, the passport will be stamped. Once the card is filled up, it will be entered in a drawing for an array of prizes valued over $800, including a television.

“We need to emphasize the importance of preventive health in our county,” remarked Mills. “The public can’t always afford medical care from their providers or hospitals, and that’s where the health department can step up and fill the gap. We will be taking a proactive role in health care services. We hope to add a mobile unit to our department in the future so we can visit the outlying areas of the county.”

For more information on the free medical testing offered during the Harvest Festival or other services offered by the health department, call 606-298-7752.