The Alabama Medical Association, during its weekly COVID-19 webcast, will host former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin to discuss issues relating to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Medical Association president Dr. Aruna Arora and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris will join the former U.S. surgeon general in discussing ongoing mitigation efforts to combat the spread the Delta variant.

Arora offered a grim assessment of the current state of the virus in Alabama and encouraged citizens to take part and view the Facebook live-stream.

“COVID’s devastation continues,” said Arora. “Our hospitals are full but our medical staff are running on empty. Nearly everyone by now has been touched by COVID in some way, and we encourage Alabamians to be part of this Facebook Live event to get the latest information and hopefully have their questions answered.”

During Benjamin’s tenure as surgeon general, she oversaw the operational command of 6,500 uniformed public health officers. She is the former associate dean for Rural Health at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. In 2002, Benjamin made history as she became the first black woman to serve as president of the Alabama Medical Association.

The webcast is part of the Medical Association’s weekly COVID-19 update which seeks to inform the public about mitigation efforts relating to the ongoing pandemic. The format allows viewers to submit questions that will be addressed by health care experts.

Thursday’s live-streamed update can be viewed on the Alabama Medical Association’s Facebook page, beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL