Vernon's current urgent and primary care centre is located in the city's downtown.
Image Credit: GOOGLE STREET VIEW
August 23, 2024 - 12:35 PM
Premier David Eby came to Vernon today to announce his government plans to build and staff a second urgent and primary care centre in the city although there’s not location selected yet and it won’t be opening until the fall of 2025.
The current primary care centre is in downtown Vernon and the health ministry has begun planning a second centre which will be open seven days a week, and on statutory holidays.
"Urgent and primary care centres deliver faster access to care while relieving pressure on our emergency rooms,” Eby said in a media release issued today, Aug. 23. “With a second centre for Vernon, North Okanagan residents will get better access for cuts, minor infections, sprains and those kinds of medical issues that need a doctor's attention, but not an emergency room visit.”
Once a location is selected for the care centre, Interior Health will begin the request for proposals process for construction.
The province estimates the new health-care centre will cost $4.97 million to build. It will be funded by the province through Interior Health and the North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District.
Once open, the centre will be operated by Interior Health in a collaboration with the North Okanagan Division of Family Practice, Okanagan Indian Band and the Splatsin First Nation.
There are nine primary care centres currently operating in the Interior Health region, including Ashcroft, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Rutland, Vernon and West Kelowna.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander or call 250-309-5343 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.
News from © iNFOnews, 2024