mobile clinics continue to gain traction in nova scotia, newest one opens in downtown halifax
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there is a new mobile clinic at citadel health home on dresden row in halifax.
ryan taplin
/
chronicle herald
mobile clinics are gaining so much traction in nova scotia that most of them are being run out of buildings rather than vehicles.
nova scotia health announced its newest after-hours location will be at citadel health home on dresden row in halifax, increasing the number of this type of primary care clinic in the province to nine. hours and dates of operation vary at the facilities but the provincial health authority maintains an updated list online.
“we know people can’t always wait to see their own family doctor or nurse practitioner,” jasmine asad, a primary health-care manager with nova scotia health, said in a news release. “and sometimes they need to be seen in person instead of virtually. our clinic gives people on the peninsula another option for timely in-person care for common health concerns, right in their community.”
like many of the other mobile operations, the host site at citadel health home is a conventional medical clinic that maintains regular business hours with doctors and nurse practitioners. but because many nova scotians still don’t have access to a family physician, these outlets are meant to help fill the gap.
according to the release, the clinics are designed to handle “non-urgent health issues, including prescription renewals, minor respiratory symptoms, sore throats, earaches, rashes, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea, urinary tract infections, fever, cold or flu. they cannot order bloodwork or diagnostic imaging such as x-rays and ultrasounds, provide immunizations, or complete medical forms. and this is not an emergency service – anyone experiencing a medical emergency should call 911 or go to their closest emergency department.”
appointments are not required but patients must have their health card.
“our team is committed to meeting people where they are, and making sure they receive safe, respectful care when they walk through our doors,” asad said in the release.
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the other mobile primary care clinics around the province are dartmouth south primary care clinic, cobequid community health centre in lower sackville, west hants access clinic in windsor, south shore medical arts centre in bridgewater, chester community clinic, lunenburg family health, harbour south medical clinic in yarmouth and north queens community health centre in caledonia.
in many ways, these clinics are a natural outgrowth of the province’s successful vaccination mobile units that popped up during the pandemic. the public health mobile unit started offering covid-19 immunizations in modified medical vans in september 2020.
since then they have evolved into regular fixtures in nova scotia health care, with more than 20 shown on the latest availability map around the province for the following ailments: shingles, respiratory syncytial virus, chickenpox, measles, mumps, pneumonia, meningitis, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, covid-19 and influenza.
more broadly, the provincial government set a goal of establishing 60 “new and strengthened clinics” of varying kinds for nova scotia during a may 2023 program launch.
“new and strengthened clinics will mean patients who previously would have to use an emergency department or wait to see a health-care professional at an existing location will be able to get better care, faster than ever before,” michelle thompson, the minister of health and wellness, said in a release at the time. “this is just one of a series of efforts we are making to improve primary care for nova scotians.”
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