Powell River COVID-19 Physicians Steering Committee, with the support of Vancouver Coastal Health and the regional emergency operations centre, has created a respiratory clinic at Powell River Recreation Complex. The clinic will only be for people who have received a referral by a doctor or nurse practitioner. Walk-ins will not be accepted.
Regional manager of emergency services Ryan Thoms stated in a media release that: “the clinic is not open yet but has been created to ensure we are prepared and will be opened if needed. The clinic will provide a space outside the emergency department where doctors can see patients who need a lung assessment. These patients may have mild to moderate respiratory symptoms that cannot be properly treated over the phone and would be hard to assess in the traditional doctors’ office."
“Before calling a doctor’s office, residents are urged to use the COVID-19 BC support app and self-assessment tool at bc.thrive.health.”
The respiratory clinic is a measure to limit the number of people who have to go to the emergency department at Powell River General Hospital and reduce the risk of potentially spreading the infection.
The release stated that the clinic will be specifically equipped and have trained staff ready to respond. In addition, there will be strict safety precautions, such as a carefully controlled patient flow, controlled airflows, decontamination between patients and minimized touch points.
