For the past five years, the Rahma Mercy Clinic has provided free medical care to low-income families in Gainesville.
The clinic has received more than 1,000 patients who do not have health insurance. Located at 5220 SW 13th St., the clinic is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Doctors and volunteers normally treat six to 10 patients per day.
Asad Haroon, one of the coordinators at the clinic, said the clinic provides medical attention to patients who are seeking general checkups. Doctors treat people who have high blood pressure, weight issues, flu, diabetes or psychological problems, such as depression or anxiety.
Patients have to fill out a form with basic information, including their address, phone number, blood type, gender, age and allergies, he said. The main focus of the medical staff is to serve the underserved, no matter their background.
The attendance of patients has decreased this year, Haroon said. It might be because more people are getting access to healthcare through the Affordable Care Act, and there are more non-profit clinics opening in the community.
Nabeel Iqbal, a former volunteer of the clinic, said volunteers do not need a vast knowledge of medicine. Doctors and experienced volunteers teach newcomers how to manage the medical forms, weigh patients and check vital signs, such as measuring blood pressure and body temperature.
Haroon and Iqbal said the clinic receives financial support from government funding and direct donations through a drop box at the clinic. Patients do not need to wait in long lines or schedule appointments to be assisted by a doctor. A person can come in as a walk-in patient and expect attention from the staff.
“The fact that they were able to see a doctor in the same day that they wanted to, it was a big deal for them,” Iqbal said.
Raihan Noman, a volunteer at the clinic, said the only protocol that volunteers need to follow when checking in patients is to determine whether they have health insurance. Patients do not need to show their Social Security number when they go to the clinic.
“We are just here to provide treatment if we can,” he said.
Noman said that the reputation of the clinic will grow thanks to the renovations, which will allow them to accommodate more patients and recruit more volunteers.
“I hope to see the clinic grow and become more well-known,” Noman said.
