Remote Area Medical

Remote Area Medical is a documentary film that depicts the hardships and triumphs of a team of volunteers striving to provide medical care to underprivileged individuals in remote areas of the United States. The movie was directed by Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman and was released in 2013.

The film follows the work of Remote Area Medical (RAM), which is a non-profit organization founded by Stan Brock in 1985. The organization was initially focused on providing medical care to people in developing countries, but it soon became apparent that there was a significant need for healthcare in the United States as well. Since then, RAM has shifted its focus to providing free healthcare to people in underserved and remote areas in the US.

The movie starts with a heart-wrenching scene of people queuing up outside the Wise County Fairgrounds, Virginia, hours before the RAM clinic is scheduled to begin. These people have come from all over the state, some as far as West Virginia, to seek medical treatment for a range of illnesses and conditions that they cannot afford to get treated otherwise. The clinic will run for three days and will provide free medical, dental, and vision care to these people.

The movie shows the behind-the-scenes preparations of the clinic, the setup of the makeshift medical facilities, and the training of the hundreds of volunteers who make it all possible. The volunteers come from all over the country and include doctors, nurses, dentists, optometrists, veterinarians, and other healthcare professionals, as well as non-medical volunteers who help with logistics, patient registration, and crowd control.

The volunteers work tirelessly for three days, treating thousands of patients, many of whom have not seen a doctor in years. The movie shows the patients' stories, their struggles with healthcare access and affordability, and the impact that the medical treatment has on their lives. We see people whose teeth have decayed to the point where they can barely eat, people with chronic diseases that they cannot afford to treat, and people who have never had an eye exam before.

The movie also highlights the challenges that the RAM team faces in providing healthcare in remote, underserved areas. They have to work with limited resources, deal with a shortage of healthcare professionals in rural areas, and navigate the complicated healthcare system with its paperwork and regulations. They also have to deal with the emotional toll of seeing so many people in need of healthcare and knowing that they cannot help everyone.

One of the highlights of the movie is the portrayal of Stan Brock, the founder of RAM, and his passion for providing medical care to people in need. The movie shows his journey from a wild animal catcher in the Amazon rainforest to a healthcare provider in the US, and his unwavering dedication to the RAM mission. He is portrayed as a tireless worker, a charismatic leader, and an inspiring individual who has dedicated his life to helping others.

Overall, Remote Area Medical is a moving documentary that sheds light on the healthcare plight of many underserved Americans and the dedication of the volunteers who work tirelessly to provide medical care to these people. It is a reminder that healthcare is a fundamental human right and that there is still much work to be done to ensure that everyone has access to affordable healthcare.