Shuqualak residents impacted by medical clinic fire

SHUQUALAK, Miss. (WCBI) – While the post office may be open, the business where the fire started is still damaged.

The Shuqualak Health Care Center was the only medical provider for the town.

On May 23, the town of Shuqualak changed. Their one and only medical clinic was on fire.

“I smelled the smoke way before I knew that it was on fire and I smelled something it smelled like plastic, and I was like golly what is that,” said Shuqualak resident Angie Styron.

The blaze left the Shuqualak Health Care Center damaged and residents wondering what to do.

“Oh no that’s where I go to the doctor. I’m getting older now, and I don’t feel like driving some days. Going to Macon, Brooksville, Meridian, or Columbus,” said Shuqualak resident Dorothy Hammock.

It’s a big loss for a small town like Shuqualak, and nearly everyone is affected.

“Well, I think it’s a lot of the older people you know it’s rural here you know they used it, I used it myself my husband used it I liked it is a part of Meridian. I don’t know what we’re gonna do now. I really don’t,” said Styron.

“Here in Suqualak we’re close knitted, and you know we love it, and we support it and we just missing it,” said Shuqualak County Clerk Shirley Blakely.

At the moment, the prognosis for the Shuqualak Health Care Center is unknown, but residents want to see it open again soon.

“The medical center of the staff the greater Meridian which is the parent staff we just want them to hurry up and get our little clinic back here because it’s really it’s missing,” said Blakely.

We reached out to the Greater Meridian Health Clinic to find out more on the future of the Shuqualak Heath Care Facility and didn’t receive an answer.

But sources said the facility will move into an old church down the street.