CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE Sept. 14, 2020
The Lotus Clinic in Shawville announced that starting on Sept. 14, they would be extending their hours for “minor emergencies” on evenings and weekends.
Clinic owner Joanne Romain said that the changes were made at the request of the health ministry, to help . . .
keep people out of emergency rooms due to minor afflictions.
“It’s the government that’s asking, because of the COVID period, they’re asking more of the clinics to open up after hours,” she said. “It’s a good plan for the people that work, or they come home from daycare and the kid has not been well, they can call and book an appt. Some of the patients that go to the emergency that don’t know that they’re able to call, some of them will be transferred to us also.”
She explained that clinic will be extending weeknight hours from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on weekends. She said that people don’t have to already be a patient at the clinic, but everyone would have to book an appointment.
“If they have COVID symptoms, we tell them to phone the COVID line because we’re not equipped to do the testing and we’re designated a cold zone, so we don’t want somebody with symptoms to come in and for us to be infected here,” she said, emphasizing the importance of phoning ahead.
Romain said that “minor emergencies” are issues that need prompt attention, but aren’t life threatening, like ear aches, rashes, or UTIs. The doctors at the clinic will be aided by physicians from the Pontiac Family Medicine Group.
“We’re just hoping to be able to help out because we know it’s a need right now. A lot of people don’t want to go to emergency in case they could contract the COVID,” Romain said. “We’re trying to keep them out of harm’s way.”
Appointments can be booked by calling 819-647-4707and dialling zero.
