The health care clinic in Clark’s Harbour, N.S., has been sitting down empty for two yrs.

Clark’s Harbour, a modest town positioned between Shelburne and Yarmouth, is property to 700 people today. Most of them can remember a time when principal wellbeing care was out there and quickly available.

In 2007, a semi-retired physician living in the Municipality of Barrington presented to get the job done in Clark’s Harbour, with the stipulation that the city establish a major clinic that can provide a room for patients and features the medical instruments needed on a day-to-working day basis.

The city agreed to create the professional medical clinic next doorway to its office, underneath the situation that the medical doctor sees just about every resident in the city looking for health care help.

About the subsequent 16 years, the clinical apply experienced a doctor and nurse practioner with regular business office hrs, evening wander-in clinics, and designed house calls.

Clark’s Harbour Mayor Rex Stoddard, said people today from neighboring communities, including Yarmouth, and would journey to the clinic in Clark’s Harbour.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical professional permanently retired and the nurse practioner was moved to another clinic out of city.

“Nova Scotia Well being furnished anyone two days a 7 days and then they moved on to anything else,” mentioned Stoddard.

For nearly two a long time, the health-related clinic has been sitting vacant. Stoddard reported they have tried using to publicize the place and have also attained out to doctor recruitment.

“They have been impressed with the put but it’s been around a year, but we’ve in no way had any phone calls,” reported Stoddard.

No matter if it is for a examine-up or prescription refill, inhabitants in the local community are necessary to vacation up to an hour to a healthcare facility in either Yarmouth or Shelburne.

Stoddard said, this has been nerve-racking for a lot of community citizens.

“People are afraid since exactly where do they go? What do they do? Outpatients is becoming annoying,” said Stoddard.

The neighborhood has a expanding senior’s inhabitants and whilst some are able to vacation to get treatment, some others have not found a health practitioner in two decades.

Clark’s Harbour resident, 83 yr-outdated Carolyn Nickerson, is lucky to have family members associates to travel her to the clinic but as her overall health declines travelling is becoming more tricky.

“I had to go down to outpatients and sometimes Shelburne was closed so we would have to go to Liverpool which is a lengthy travel and when we got there we would have to sit a extended time due to the fact there were being so quite a few men and women there,” stated Nickerson.

Thanks to her declining health, Nickerson is needed to travel to the clinic frequently. She travels to Shelburne each individual thirty day period to have her prescription filled. When she does go to the medical center, she explained she is remaining waiting hours at outpatients.

“I’d like to see improved care here. It’s very disheartening when you don’t have a medical doctor of your own. You’re travelling an hour to see a health practitioner only to sit for more hours waiting around to be viewed,” stated Nickerson.

Nickerson reported, without her household she would have no indicates of transportation. She knows people today in the local community that cannot travel to Shelburne or Yarmouth and do not have health professionals.

Around the last number of months, the province has released cell well being clinics in unique areas of the province, the town’s councillor and community nurse Luann Backlink mentioned a lot like the hospitals, the cell clinics are situated farther away from the community.

“We have attractive clinic that they could use. There’s no cause why Nova Scotia Wellness could not send the clinic here,” mentioned Connection.

In an e mail to CTV Information, Nova Scotia Overall health claimed, “Our major wellbeing care group proceeds to seem for techniques we can enhance and greatly enhance entry to key health treatment products and services across Shelburne County. If we have a medical doctor interested in a solo, rural exercise, we would absolutely highlight the added benefits of Clarks Harbour and the current office environment place – especially if they are fascinated in functioning in a coastal community,”

Nova Scotia Overall health stated there is a full-time nurse practitioner who will work from a clinic place in Barrington Passage and would incorporate observing sufferers from Clark’s Harbour.

“Barrington is also property to our 4 loved ones physicians. People of Clark’s Harbour can also join with the Shelburne Relatives Follow for selections.”

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