Medical clinic to open in East Palestine following train derailment

EAST PALESTINE — DeWine announced Friday that the Ohio Department of Health is setting up a clinic in East Palestine nearly two weeks after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed.

According to DeWine, the clinic will be established over the next few days and medical experts with the U.S. Department of Health and Health and Human Services will be coming to help answer residents’ questions.

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“The people who will come in, and we expect them in early next week, will also have access to the best experts in the world in regard to chemical exposures,” DeWine said. “Again, we are doing this because we know the concern that has been expressed by so many of the residents.”

DeWine says they plan to begin seeing patients early next week.

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“We know there are some people who do not have insurance, we also know that we have people who many not even have a primary doctor, we want to make sure they have a place to go,” DeWine said.

DeWine added that the clinic is not being created due to concerns with water or air samplings.

“This is not based on anything that we’re seeing in the sampling of the air, not based on anything we’re seeing in the sampling of the water,” he said.

Information on the clinic’s location and hours will be posted at https://ema.ohio.gov/media-publications/020523-train-derailment.

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