After the recent announcement of another doctor planning to leave Ponoka, the Battle River Medical Clinic (BRMC) would like to reassure the public that they will continue to have access to care.
READ MORE: Another doctor has announced he is leaving Ponoka
“The physicians of the Battle River Medical Clinic are continuing to meet with patients by phone through the pandemic and want the town to know that, despite some recent and pending departures, the remaining physicians are continuing to provide care,” reads a statement from BRMC.
“Our daily-access clinic is still open five days a week,” said Dr. Gregory Sawisky.
“All appointments are by telephone first, that is the only change.”
Patients of the clinic are encouraged to reach out to their doctor if they have a health concern.
“Despite the pandemic and this 30-day lockdown, we are still available to address peoples’ health needs and can still order tests,” said Dr. Sawisky.
Dr. Sawisky says that although there has been a recent concern that the pandemic would lead to a rise in preventable disease from people not having medical issues investigated, appointments by telephone can still be a powerful diagnostic tool.
“The pandemic has changed how we do things in many ways but it hasn’t changed the fact that we are here for our patients and still providing care,” he said.
If you have a family physician at BRMC you can continue to book telephone appointments. If you don’t have a family doctor, you can speak to one at the daily access clinic by calling in the morning for an appointment when the clinic opens.
BRMC advises that at this time, patients whose family doctor has left or is leaving will not be assigned a new family doctor from the clinic as the doctors’ patient loads are currently full.
Patients needing a family doctor can check the Wolf Creek Primary Care Network’s website at wcpcn.pcnpmo.ca or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta at www.cpsa.ca to find a physician in Central Alberta who is accepting patients.
BRMC says it is continuing its recruitment efforts for new family physicians.