“South Delta is in a real medical crisis right now.”
This is what a nurse told me last Monday as I went into what I thought was a walk-in clinic in Ladner for treatment of a minor medical need.
According to this nurse, there are no more walk-in clinics in South Delta right now. And the few clinics that do take some walk-in patients – availability is limited to maybe a day once a week. If you don’t have a family doctor at any of the local clinics, there are no appointments to be made. You are simply out of luck.
As I live in North Delta, along the Scott Road corridor, I thought, maybe I would have better luck. Nope, same story. No availability. Clinics closed on weekends and walk-in availability, maybe in a few weeks, said one nurse that I spoke too.
Luckily, I do have a family doctor – albeit at a medical clinic in Port Coquitlam and I was able to get an appointment on a Tuesday afternoon.
Three hours later (including travel time) I was back at my desk here in Ladner with my medical issue squared away.
My ordeal, albeit a minor one, really had me thinking about how lucky I am to have a family doctor and the ability to miss work to travel to see my doctor.
Many, especially in this community, don’t have that luxury, so what do they do? How do they get the medical care that they so desperately need?
Reporter Phil Melnychuk attended a recent Fraser Health board meeting asking about the possibility of an Urgent Primary Care Centre for South Delta. It’s not even on their radar.
How can the NDP government continue to push communities like Delta to increase its housing numbers bringing more and more people into our community when we don’t have the necessary infrastructure and medical services to meet the needs of its current citizens?
A medical crisis as this nurse put it…that’s an understatement of epic proportions.
