Carrabelle residents upset at Health Department closure

Carrabelle residents are up in arms after the unannounced and unexpected closure of the Carrabelle Health Department earlier this week.

City residents packed Thursday night’s legislative delegation hearing to voice their opposition to the closure.

County officials said they were completely taken by surprise by the closure which they said they learned of at 4 o’clock Tuesday afternoon as the health department was closing its doors.

Our state legislators had already learned of the issue and held a meeting with the Florida’s surgeon general on Wednesday where they were assured the closure is temporary and that the facility will be reopened in just a few days.

The legislators were careful to get that promise in writing and said they would stay on top of the issue.

The reasons for the closure are still unclear.

The Florida Department of Health did see some major budget cuts this year and that is being felt by counties statewide.

The location also does not have a primary care physician on-site so patients are seen by Dana Whaley who is a very popular registered nurse.

In Carrabelle, however, they see the problem as much deeper than one of money or of manpower.

Many of the residents said there have been moves to close the Carrabelle location for years and this is just the latest excuse.

Carrabelle mayor Curley Messer said he will see the clinic reopened, and if he has to bring hundreds of people to Tallahassee to get it done – he’ll do that.

He added that if it takes it he’ll even “do some suin’.”

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