Hawaii News Now · September 4, 2026
After Hurricane Lala, a pop-up medical clinic in the gymnasium at Nāʻālehu Elementary treated about 100 people, according to Hawaii News Now. Dr. Kaʻohimanu Dang Akiona, a family medicine physician, said it was set up on short notice with the county’s help, offering urgent care and wound care in a community setting to people who had lost access to their regular clinics. The state Department of Health was also on site to support patients’ mental health.
Dr. Dang Akiona said the response showed how hard it can be for people in rural communities to reach care, especially on Hawaiʻi Island.