California Clinic Makes History Offering Free Surgeries to All

A health center in California will soon be the first in the U.S. to offer free surgeries exclusively, as reported by KABC.

The nonprofit Lestonnac Free Clinic, established in 1979, has been providing free surgeries at a hospital in L.A. County for over five years. This has been in addition to dental services, vision care, and primary health care services. But the organizers are of the view that a new, 4,000 square-foot center in Orange, California will allow them to reach a higher number of patients.

"This is amazing to have the opportunity to be able to finish a project that helps people get to the end of a disease," Edward Gerber, the Executive Director at Lestonnac stated.

The Thompson Family Foundation has donated $3 million toward the project, which will offer approximately 70 surgeries to patients, regardless of their residency status, with the assistance of volunteer surgeons.

"This is great for all of those who are poor like me who need the help from these clinics," patient Fabio Martinez Figueroa told the news outlet. "Without the help, poor people wouldn't be able to live."

The initiative was announced at a special ceremony with sledgehammers breaking apart a wall displaying the text "Barriers to Healthcare." The center is scheduled to open next spring, according to the station.

In 2022, nearly four in 10 Americans stated that they postponed receiving medical care due to the cost, which is the highest level in at least 22 years, according to a Gallup poll. Concurrently, one in five Americans has outstanding medical bills in collections, totaling $88 billion, as per the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.