Apr. 14--Two free health fairs this weekend in Fresno County will cater to the needs of the uninsured and to children, offering services such as blood-pressure checks and nutrition counseling.
The Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission Head Start program will hold a health fair Saturday in Mendota with an emphasis on childhood obesity prevention.
And on Sunday, the Muslim Society of Central California is providing free health screenings at Manchester Center in Fresno. The health fair is aimed at adults and children who don't have health insurance or don't have adequate health coverage.
Mendota Head Start workers said they saw a need for a health fair to focus on childhood obesity, when they made an assessment of children enrolled at the center. Thirty-six of the 80 children were overweight or at risk of being overweight.
"More shocking is that nine of those 36 children were considered extreme cases and were immediately referred to meet with a registered dietitian," said Kathy Hix, the Head Start registered nurse. Hix and Shana Burns, the nutrition assistant, proposed the idea for a health fair concentrating on childhood obesity.
Saturday's health fair in Mendota will educate families about healthy food and lifestyle choices for themselves and their children, the organizers said. The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rojas-Pierce Park, 200 Sorensen Ave.
Parents also can have children's toys tested for lead. Childhood immunizations will be available, and diabetes and blood-pressure screenings will be offered.
The Manchester health fair Sunday is a way to fill the gap in insurance coverage in the central San Joaquin Valley, said Dr. Mohammad Ashraf, a Madera cardiologist and lead organizer of the event.
"There are at least, to my estimate, 200,000 people living in this area who are uninsured or underinsured, and they need help so this is one way to reach out to them," Ashraf said.
The Manchester health fair will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. near the carousel in the mall at Shields and Blackstone avenues. The fair will include screenings for diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, as well as eye exams, teeth cleaning, school physicals and women's health screenings. It also will provide podiatry services -- foot exams and toenail clipping -- for seniors, diabetics who cannot see and for others who cannot take care of their feet.
This is the third year for the health fair, Ashraf said. About 24 doctors and health practitioners will participate this year. Clinia Sierra Vista has joined with the fair to provide follow-up care to patients in need, he said.
The reporter can be reached at banderson@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6310.
-----
To see more of The Fresno Bee, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.fresnobee.com
Copyright (c) 2010, The Fresno Bee, Calif.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.