ORANGE COUNTY: Supervisors Agree to Combat Illegal Clinics
The Orange County Board of Supervisors Tuesday gave the green light to the Safe HealthCare Coalition of Orange County's five- year plan to crack down on illegal medical clinics and educate residents about health alternatives, the Orange County Register reports. The move comes in response to the deaths of two children who received medical treatment in unlicensed clinics in Santa Ana and Tustin. Under the program, the Orange County Health Care Agency will designate a coordinator and use its staff for a six-month campaign to "tell residents about affordable emergency care via hotlines, posters and fliers." Supervisors also voted to spend $235,000 for "tip lines" in several languages so residents can report illegal medical practices to authorities. The plan came under fire from some activists, however, who protested the use of public funds to help illegal residents. Barbara Coe of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform said, "Illegal aliens are lawbreakers and should be deported." Orange County Supervisor Tom Wilson disagreed, saying, "This is not a Proposition 187 or 209 issue. This is a life-or-death issue" (Sanchez, 4/28).
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