[VIDEO] By Farah Dosani –
Moore Haven in Glades County has long suffered a drought when it comes to doctors practicing in the area.
All that changed in October of last year with the arrival of Dr. Edu Kirindongo.
The rural Florida community now has a doctor – and he’s the only private physician in the entire county.
Glades County has one private doctor practicing in the entire county, serving 12,000 people. (Arkyan / Wikimedia Commons)
“That was a surprise to me as well,” said Kirindongo, who practices family medicine at the Florida Medical & Wellness Center in Moore Haven.
“I hope with time we’ll get more people here, more physicians.”
But doing so has always been a challenge for the county.
“We’ve been able from time to time to recruit physicians into the community, but for one reason or another they…relocated,” said Tracy Whirls, Executive Director of the Glades County Economic Development Council.
“It’s been kind of a revolving door situation.”
Glades County borders the western shore of Lake Okeechobee. It has one town, Moore Haven, and a handful of unincorporated communities. The county population of about 12,000 is scattered across over 750 square miles of land.
The video above profiles this Florida county with one doctor and what residents must do to access health care.
To listen to the radio story that aired on HealthyState.org’s member radio stations, click here.
This reporter can be reached at fdosani@wgcu.org.