Returning Miss. coast doctors want patients back from free clinic
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- Fearing the long-term generosity from out-of-town doctors could do more harm than good, local physicians say it's decision time: Us or them.
Beth Gallup, a 49-year-old Kansas doctor, organized Mississippi's Forgotten, a nonprofit relief group designed to meet the needs of Katrina victims. The group plans to offer free health care here for the next three years.
Gallup and a small group of volunteers are working from a travel trailer at the Bay St. Louis train depot, seeing about 100 patients a day, and offering free medications to treat infection, depression and the common cold, also known as "Katrina Crud."
"It's volunteers or nothing, especially in Hancock County," Gallup said. "There aren't enough physicians to meet the people's needs."
Beth Gallup, a 49-year-old Kansas doctor, organized Mississippi's Forgotten, a nonprofit relief group designed to meet the needs of Katrina victims. The group plans to offer free health care here for the next three years.
Gallup and a small group of volunteers are working from a travel trailer at the Bay St. Louis train depot, seeing about 100 patients a day, and offering free medications to treat infection, depression and the common cold, also known as "Katrina Crud."
"It's volunteers or nothing, especially in Hancock County," Gallup said. "There aren't enough physicians to meet the people's needs."