'We tried our best,' says doctor as Dartmouth walk-in prepares to close
A Halifax-area walk-in clinic that's set to close permanently this weekend could no longer keep up with the increasing demand for health care without putting patient safety at risk, according to a physician who has a family practice on site.
Tacoma Family Medicine in Dartmouth posted a notice this week saying its walk-in clinical service will end Sunday, dealing a blow to the growing number of residents who still do not have access to a family doctor or primary care.
Dr. Mohamed Alzrighe said the four doctors who worked at the clinic felt undervalued and underpaid for the service they were providing.
"Our staff was stretched to the max," Alzrighe said Wednesday. "When it comes to patient care and safety, there is no compromise there for us, so we decided we could not really keep going and provide the same standard of care."
He said clinic, which opened in 2009 and operated from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., was seeing more and more patients with complex health issues.
Family practice to continue
Alzrighe and another doctor will continue to run their family practice at the same clinic. He said they each have 1,200 patients on their roster, and they're not accepting any more.
He said his heart goes out to those who relied on his clinic and now have to go elsewhere.
"If we made mistakes or any shortcomings, we are only human. We tried our best to do what we can at the time and I wish everybody best of health."
Alzrighe said at least two administrative workers inside the clinic will be laid off.
The planned closure comes amid a provincewide health-care crisis that has seen the number of Nova Scotians registered to find a family doctor balloon to 156,000 as of March — the highest it's been.
Lineups outside walk-in clinics in below-freezing temperatures were commonplace over the winter in the Halifax Regional Municipality as people tried to find care.
News of the Tacoma walk-in closure was met with disappointment online. A number of social media posts noted how busy the clinic usually appeared and questioned where people will go after Sunday.
Closure will be felt by community, says NDP leader
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said in an interview the closure reinforces the need for the government to put more energy and resources into making primary care accessible.
"People need a 'health home.' They need a place that they can call, that has their file, that can follow them, that can help them with things like referrals or chronic conditions," said Chender, the MLA for Dartmouth South.
She said the loss of the walk-in clinic will be felt by her constituents.
"That walk-in clinic, in particular, has been the thing that people turn to for as long as I can remember," she said.
The province has said challenges facing the health-care system vary across communities, but a growing population and the closure of practices are key parts of the problem.
Premier Tim Houston said in recent weeks that the government continues to focus on expanding virtual care in addition to the creation of mobile clinics that travel the province and primary-care clinics based in pharmacies.
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