MEMBERTOU, CAPE BRETON – Nova Scotia Health has opened a mobile medical clinic in Sydney to address the area’s primary healthcare needs.
The clinic is located at the Seventh Exchange on the Churchill Drive Extension in Membertou, which is not in the community but is near the new retail store that is being built and can be seen from Highway 125 and will be open until April 6. to be open in October.
Operating daily from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., nurses are on site to ensure care, as well as paramedics from the emergency services.
There is also a public health mobile COVID-19 testing station.
Sydney Mines’ Georgia White brought her 20-month-old son to the clinic on Friday and was grateful for the service.
“I found it very convenient. It’s a very good facility and well organized,” she said.
Her son Easton Lewis had been ill for a few days and was no better.
Unable to get her son’s doctor’s appointment because both the office and her home were without power due to hurricane-force post-tropical storm Fiona, White decided to go to the mobile health clinic.
White and her son drove to the clinic, were quickly triaged and sent to the COVID-19 testing tent, and given a 4 p.m. appointment to return. As the clinic was able to admit her immediately, the medical staff rescheduled her appointment so that she would not have to return to Sydney Mines and Sydney later that day.
“It’s in a good location and easy to get to if you know where it is,” White said. “It’s so much better than waiting hours in the ER or department, or waiting weeks for a doctor’s appointment.”
Nova Scotia Health’s primary health care strategy has been implemented to help fill the “primary health services gap that currently exists in this area,” according to a press release sent Thursday (September 29).
“We know there are gaps in access to basic services across the province,” the press release said. “We are launching this service in Sydney, one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Fiona.”
In addition to personal care, a medical team on site also offers virtual care.
Some of the medical issues the clinic is equipped to handle include:
Refills or renewals of prescriptions
Mild respiratory symptoms
Sore throat
earache
Fever
headache
skin rashes
Mild gastrointestinal complaints (vomiting and diarrhea)
Cough, flu or cold symptoms
urinary tract infection
Muscle aches
Mild pelvic or abdominal pain
Medical problems that the clinic cannot treat include:
stroke/facial weakness
New beginning of weakness
Heart attack/chest pain or tightness
Unable to wake up/unconscious
Sudden onset of severe headache or confusion
seizures and/or serious head injuries
Big Attack
Severe breathing difficulties or difficulty speaking
Uncontrolled or heavy bleeding
Severe trauma such as loss of limb or laceration
Severe allergic reaction
Bad burns
For these cases, it is recommended to call 911.
There is also no access to laboratory or diagnostic imaging services at the mobile clinic.
Appointment spaces are also limited at the clinic and future locations will be announced at a later date.
To get to the Primary Medical Care Mobile Health Clinic at the Seventh Exchange in Membertou, take exit 7A off Highway 125. It is just past the John Deere retail store.
