Enlace Latino NC: Undocumented and Undiagnosed
The Fight to Ease A Health Crisis Among NC's Farmworkers
Immigrant rights advocates say North Carolina makes it harder for undocumented workers to access health care services. The challenges are exacerbated by recent legislative threats such as HB 10, which would require local sheriffs to cooperate with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As a result, many farmworkers don’t seek care, and often suffer from chronic conditions that often go undiagnosed until it's too late.
Claudia Rivera Cotto
(From left) Wade Johnson, 24, a 2nd year Campbell University medical student, and Blondye Santana, a patient who drove 45 minutes to receive treatment, listen as a Campbell student translates Santana’s symptoms from Spanish to English, during a mobile health clinic organized by NC FIELD outside María, Reina de las Américas Catholic Church, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in Mt. Olive. The mobile clinic is adapted to treat rural patients, many of them agricultural workers, who often work during normal office hours, lack health insurance and face language barriers.
(De izquierda a derecha) Wade Johnson, de 24 años, estudiante de segundo año de medicina en la Universidad Campbell, y Blondye Santana, una paciente que guió 45 minutos para recibir tratamiento, escuchan mientras el estudiante de Campbell traduce los síntomas de Santana de español a inglés, durante una clínica de salud móvil organizada por NC FIELD frente a la Iglesia Católica María, Reina de las Américas, el miércoles 19 de junio de 2024, en Mt. Olive. La clínica móvil está adaptada para atender a pacientes rurales, muchos de ellos trabajadores agrícolas, que a menudo trabajan durante el horario laboral normal, carecen de seguro médico y enfrentan barreras lingüísticas.
Angelica Edwards
