The Innovative Readiness Training also offers dental care for children with special needs and adults who don’t have medical insurance.
Thirty-seven medical and dental providers from the U.S. Navy and Marines’ 4th MedBn and 4th DenBn will conduct free medical and dental missions on Aug. 10-14 and on Aug. 17-21.
A health fair will be conducted on Aug. 15.
Venues are the Commonwealth Health Center, Kagman High School and American Memorial Park.
Security and crowd control will be provided by Department of Public Safety.
Innovative Readiness Training officer-in-charge Capt. Anita M. Kobuszewski said they are “honored and excited to provide valuable training for our sailors and Marines and at the same time work alongside the medical and dental staff of the Commonwealth Health Care on Saipan to provide medical and dental care to the residents of Saipan.”
Department of Public Health medical director Dr. Richard Brostrom said walk-in patients will still be entertained, since dental care for children with special needs are already fully booked.
With CHC conducting a screening process, Brostrom said “U.S. citizenship is not a requirement” to avail of the free medical and dental clinics.
Some medications will also be offered, he added.
Kobuszewski said providers include biomedical doctors and technicians, physicians, pharmacists, dentists, physical therapists and nurses.
The medical focus involves some specialist care, including neurology.
The general medicine focus will be on diabetes mellitus and hypertension disease. Optometry services may also be provided.
The dental component will include specialty dental care with emphasis on pediatric dentistry services, including children with special needs.
Kobuszewski said Brostrom made the Innovative Readiness Training request last year through the CNMI Department of Public Health and the Office of the Governor.
The assistant secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs then tasked the 4th Medical Battalion and the 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve, based in San Diego, California to lead the effort.
Kobuszewski said the group coming to Saipan is composed of Navy medical and dental providers as well as sailors and Marines from the 4th MedBn and 4th Dental Battalion based in Marietta, Georgia.
“This [project] provides…personnel valuable training in an expeditionary environment and on rapidly deploying to a location, developing advanced medical, dental and logistics training. Further, we will prepare the way ahead for follow-up on Innovative Readiness Training and Civil Assistance Program operations in the CNMI,” Kobuszewski said.
