A newly renovated Medical Daycare unit at the Wallaceburg hospital promises to handle more patients in a more modern and comfortable atmosphere.
The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) unveiled the new space at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Thursday afternoon.
The Medical Daycare program offers outpatients, such as cancer patients and pregnant women, iron infusions, blood transfusions, phlebotomy (drawing blood), and minor procedures.
CKHA Chief of Staff Dr. Pervez Faruqi also said the space will also be used for expanded services, such as urology and small surgeries, set to begin this summer.
Dr. Faruqi said there were over 1,500 visits at the Wallaceburg site in 2022/23 and he expects the volume to increase in the future.
“We are pleased to open this updated and modern space which will enhance the delivery of safe, high quality care at this site,“ said Dr. Faruqi.
George Vieira has been getting treatment at the hospital since 2020 after an illness hospitalized him for five months. Vieira said this space will help many patients like him get timely treatment closer to home.
"I call and within two weeks I'm back here for another iron infusion. That's something we take for granted as a whole and we shouldn't," said Viera.
CKHA CEO Lori Marshall said this space is much more efficient.
"From a staffing perspective, it's much easier to monitor than a long hallway with individual doors on it," Marshall said.
These services were previously provided at Ambulatory Care and has now moved over to the newly renovated space with two extra chairs. The Wallaceburg site now has six chairs and a couple of private rooms. The Chatham hospital continues with its own Medical Daycare program.
The Wallaceburg renovations cost $780,000 and took two years to complete. The funding was provided by the province.
"This project included Medical Daycare, a medical room and a physician space. Significant asbestos abatement was required to be done prior to the construction and repurposing of this space," said Director of Communications Fannie Vavoulis.