CALLAWAY — A free medical clinic that helped patients in eastern Bay County after Hurricane Michael closed last Thursday.

The pop-up clinic, which treated patients at John B. Gore Park on Beulah Avenue in Callaway, had been open since the Monday after the storm.

The clinic was operated by medical staff under Dr. Ata Ulhaq, who has offices in Panama City and Panama City Beach. Ulhaq said the Callaway clinic closed for a number of reasons, including a scheduled expiration of a 30-day waiver that allowed volunteers with medical licenses issued in states besides Florida to treat patients for free. The waiver was part of an emergency executive order issued in October by Gov. Rick Scott as Michael made landfall.

Ulhaq found out the medical volunteer allowance was extended after he closed the clinic, but opted to keep the clinic closed. He said they were already seeing fewer patients because of other clinics in the area being open.

Patients were "very appreciative of what we’re doing here," said Laura Schoonover, an EMT who volunteered at the clinic. "Every single person says thank you.”

Ulhaq's Panama City office on Jenks Avenue is being repaired after it was damaged by Hurricane Michael, while his Panama City Beach office remains open. Volunteers at the closed clinic will return to their respective jobs, said Schoonover, who will return to work at the beach office.

The Callaway clinic saw almost 300 patients over 18 days.

“It’s been phenomenal down here,” said one volunteer who declined to give their name. “There’s a huge need for a clinic in this area. ... People are without insurance. They don’t have any money.”

Among its services, the clinic treated patients who had stepped on nails and gave “at least” 100 tetanus shots, along with free antibiotics and blood pressure medication, said the volunteer.

The clinic staff thanked the City of Callaway and volunteers, including Ata Ulhaq, Kim Bintz, Terri Servis, Virginia Pullen, Michelle Miller, Bill Rutherford, Hector Solis, Katelyn Schaaf, Dan Flores, Cole Ford, Michelle Douglas and Gerald Bossert.

Another free clinic is open at St. Dominic Catholic Church, 3308 E. 15th St., in Panama City. The clinic is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays. The clinic can administer medications and give injections but can’t do X-rays.