DARIUS SHAHHEYDARI

PONTIAC June 17, 2020

Pontiac residents are now required to book appointments to do bloodwork at Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH) and CLSC in Mansfield-et-Pontefract.

Blood work could be requested for . . .

any medical reason but due to a high volume of requests, Pontiac Hospital recommends patients call in to book blood work as soon as they know they’ll be needing it.

“Patients will be booked as soon as possible and every day we keep some spots for emergencies,” said Marie-Pier Despré, Director of communications at CISSSO, adding that both facilities are receiving about a call every five minutes.

PCH asks vulnerable patients to put on a mask when they walk in and to sanitize their hands at the sanitation station, instead of wearing gloves since they can transfer bacteria.

Staff wear personal protection equipment (PPEs) in addition to their lab coat, gloves, surgical mask, and eye protection and they take extra measures with the patients as well.

“Following the recommendation of an infectious disease doctor, we take the temperature of all patients,” she said. “They’re appointments, so we will be able to control the number of patients in the waiting room, so everybody can stay safe.”