A team of volunteer physicians and healthcare workers continues to provide medical services in Ka‘u following Hurricane Lala, helping residents access care at a time when transportation disruptions and damage to local health facilities have made it more difficult to get medical attention.

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The storm battered the state two weeks ago, with Hawaii island suffering the most severe impacts, particularly in the remote Ka‘u District. Torrential rain and strong winds damaged or destroyed homes, washed out roads and disrupted access to communities, while widespread power outages left thousands without electricity.

Two people in Ka‘u died in the aftermath of the storm and many have been left without a home.

The medical team, operating out of the Naalehu Gym shelter, was established through Hawaii County’s existing mobile health program, which works with healthcare providers to bring services into rural communities.

Erin Samura, a pharmacist and executive assistant supporting Mayor Kimo Alameda’s healthcare and public health initiatives, said that because a provider was already part of the program, the county was able to quickly mobilize the team and establish a clinic in Ka‘u after the storm.

The need became especially apparent after transportation between Naalehu and Pahala was disrupted, limiting residents’ ability to reach Ka‘u Hospital. The Hawaii Island Community Health Center was also dealing with mud and storm- related impacts, further limiting access to care.

“We were able to stand it up pretty quickly after the storm hit,” Samura said.

The clinic has served residents ranging from children as young as 2 years old to adults in their 80s, providing general medical services and helping bridge the gap until local providers can fully resume operations.

Patients have sought help for a range of needs, including wound care, mental and behavioral health services, and prescription refills.

For residents who needed medication, the medical team worked with hospitals, pharmacies and other community partners to have prescriptions filled and either delivered to patients or brought to the medical site for pickup.

“The hospital also offered services to fill prescriptions and have it sent out,” Samura said. “It’s all in collaboration, really, with our partners.”

The clinic generally has a team of five to seven people on days it operates. State Department of Health public health nurses and members of the Medical Reserve Corps also have joined the effort, at times bringing the total number of people providing support to about 10.

The physicians are private medical providers who volunteer their time to serve in Ka‘u on days when they are not seeing their regular patients. The clinic remains active three to four days a week, although its schedule can vary depending on the availability of the volunteer providers.

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Samura said the county is assessing how much longer the medical team will be needed, as access between Pahala and Ka‘u Hospital has been restored and local providers, including the Hawaii Island Community Health Center, recover and resume services.

Samura added that mental health is also a priority in Ka‘u, although she declined to provide additional details about the specific needs being reported in the community. She said the Governor’s Office has a team on standby that can be deployed if additional mental health resources are needed.

As immediate disaster needs begin to ease, the county is shifting its focus toward longer-term recovery.

Distribution points in Naalehu and Pahala, which have provided residents with food, water and other essential supplies since the storm, were scheduled to close Saturday, Aug. 29 as residents report that their immediate needs have largely been met.

The county plans to transition toward community resource centers that can help residents address longer-term needs, including healthcare, employment, insurance, education and other services.

Samura said the county is working with community organizations, businesses and leaders to create spaces where residents can access multiple resources in one place.

“We are one ohana,” she said. “Our community organizations, our community businesses, our community leaders, we’re all part of this.”

The county is also assessing housing needs as part of the recovery effort. Samura said temporary housing is being provided through hotel placements coordinated by the state Department of Human Serv­ices, as well as Airbnb options coordinated through Catholic Charities Hawai‘i and Aloha United Way.

Residents seeking help can submit a request through the county’s request-for-assistance system on the Civil Defense Agency’s website, which allows officials to connect people with available resources and track needs across the community.

Samura said the county expects residents’ needs to continue changing as the recovery progresses.

“We’re going to continue to work with our community partners to continue to hear and see and look and sense out what the gaps are, what the needs are in the community, so that we can properly fill those gaps,” she said.

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