To ensure you’re feeling your best, Walmart is offering free health check-ups at 4,600 of its stores across the nation on Saturday.
From noon to 4 p.m., Walmart will give free blood glucose and blood pressure tests, vision screenings (only at stores with vision centers), product samples, and information on health care insurance. No appointments are necessary, but it’s important to note that services are on a first-come, first-served basis. The retailer is also offering immunizations at over 10,000 of its pharmacies.
Walmart’s Wellness Day, which was called “America’s Biggest Health Fair” last year, is the largest health-screening event in the nation, according to the company.
The screening will be the first time some people are taking an active role in their health, according to Walmart’s press release, and although it did not release an exact number, the retailer expects “hundreds of thousands of people” to take advantage of the free services.
But considering the numbers from last year, that prediction seems accurate: Walmart (WMT) screened more than 280,000 people, administered 52,000 immunizations, and detected high blood-pressure in more than 7,000 people. One patient’s blood pressure readings were so alarming that she went right to the emergency room for treatment, according to Walmart.
Another 3,000 customers were advised to visit their health care professional based on their blood glucose screening, Walmart reported, and the retailer also gave away more than 2 million samples of healthier food.
GoJo, Pfizer (PFE), U.S. Nutrition, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Clorox, Kleenex, Dannon, Kellogg’s, Mars, and Vega, are all slated to give samples of products this year, according to Walmart.
“As more than 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store, we’re committed and uniquely positioned to provide accessible and affordable healthcare that helps busy families live better,” said George Riedl, senior vice president and president of health and wellness for Walmart U.S., in a statement. “These screenings provide customers with a basic yet vital understanding of their general health conditions and ways to improve them.”
You can find more information about the event at Walmart.com/healthcare or at the stores on Saturday.