The strike by public health nurses is affecting services provided by the health unit, including COVID immunization.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health, officials said they are providing what services they can while the strike is on.
Vice-Chair of the Board of Health, Michael Kotsovos, tells Quinte News it is affecting services but the health unit is maintaining critical services in the program areas that are affected.
Medical Officer of Heath Dr Ethan Toumishay says they’ve also worked with a lot of community partners in order to find direct people to alternate sites we here they can get service and care.
“This is affecting the services that we are providing. We are maintaining critical services, particularly amongst the program areas that are affected, and we’ve also worked with a lot of community partners in order to find direct people to alternate sites where they can get service and care. Certainly this would be having an effect on our community.”
“I’d be looking at clinics and program areas that would be affected. Further information is available on our website where people may see that service disruption notice.”
“We’re not currently able to offer, say immunization clinics, now. These services are available in the community through primary care clinics, through the pharmacies. Particularly COVID vaccine as being an example. “
Dr. Toumishay emphasized there would be some clinical services that are being affected right now “but our critical services are continuing to serve the community.”
He added, “There will be work we’ll have to catch up on. For example, our immunization program. We’re coming up to where we have school-based immunization and those clinics. We’re not able to offer that now and there’ll be work that we’ll have to do once we’re able to provide that service to catch up for the community. So we’ll have to work hard for that.”
Dr. Toumishay emphasized that the information is available on the health unit’s website.
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