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Free clinic helps hundreds get medical, vision, and dental care

Posted at 10:25 PM, Nov 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-12 13:07:16-05

Remote Area Medical, the nation’s largest provider of free medical, dental and vision care, will hold its third annual free medical clinic at Manatee Technical College in Bradenton on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 11 and 12.

In past years, patients began lining up to obtain their numbers in the parking lots outside the school on Friday night beginning around midnight.

On both days of the clinic, numbers are distributed at 3 a.m., and the first patients seen beginning at 6 a.m.

Giovanni Varat has been dealing with a painful tooth for two years.

He said, "The last time I had anything to chew on the right side was about two years ago."
 
On Saturday he was able to get that tooth pulled and it didn’t cost him a dime
 
Giovanni and more than 500 others came to Manatee Technical College to the free clinic where hundreds of medical volunteers from all over the state are helping people with everything from dental work to medical to vision.
 
Marty Fair is working behind the scenes in a mobile eye glasses unit, where they are making prescription glasses on site for anyone of needs them. 
 
Fair said, "Because of contributions its really helped the program to build itself and become better."

On Sunday they plan to hand out 500 numbers.