Protestors Storm City Hall to Save Health Centers

"How can the City justify cutting our health centers by over 20% and closing our health centers when there are over 100,000 uninsured in San Francisco and already 3 to 4 month waiting list for appointments" asked ACORN Leader and Community Health Center client James Webb.

"There is already a health crisis in San Francisco and they want to make more cuts? This would be devastating especially to people like myself who rely on the Dialysis Clinic at San Francisco General that is proposed to be cut," stated Protest Leader Charlene Smythe.

There are anywhere from 100,000 to 120,000 people who are living in San Francisco without health insurance, nearly 50,000 are working full time. All depend on the City's network of health clinics and public hospitals for medical care.

Because of cuts over the last year, often times families wait all day to see a doctor and risk being fired from their work. San Francisco General currently has to turn away over 20% of clients who arrive from emergency vehicles because of cuts. Local health advocates estimate that if these cuts go through, 8,000 to 10,000 families will not have access to any health care because of lack of capacity within the city and non-profit health network.
The event was organized by ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.