On May 31 2015, I went to the walk in clinic due to allergic reaction.
When I walked in, everybody was lined up in an orderly fashion at the counter, waiting to get signed in.
On Tuesday, June 2 2015, I returned to the walk in clinic at 4:50 p.m. When I walked in, I noticed a couple of people sitting down, and one lady waiting at the counter, and no receptionist. I waited until the receptionist returned to her desk. She asked everybody if they were there for the clinic and we all answered ‘Yes.’ The receptionist told us to have a seat and she will bring the numbers out. The receptionist came out with the numbers. She did not ask who was first, so she took the numbers and turned them upside down and fanned them in her hand, and said to the first lady with two small children to pick a number, then continued in order asking people to pick a number.
There has never been a so-called pick a number before as far as I can remember going to the clinic. It has always been that when you walked into the clinic, they would hand you a number in order and ask you to have a seat until you were called up and then they would book you in.
I was about the fifth person in for the clinic and when I picked a number, I ended up with number 8. I mentioned to her that I was having a allergic reaction to something and I needed help. It was like they did not care about this reaction I was having. I gave my number back and walked out. I am not impressed one bit on how our medical services are treating us.
Ever since the two doctors offices joined together, it has been nothing but problems. They don’t answer the phones after 3:30 p.m. or on the weekends. You sit and wait longer when you go for the clinic. So what is it going to be the next time that I have to use the clinic? Stick to the number system, where when you walk in at 4:50 p.m. for the clinic you get #1 for the first one in the door.
We definitely need a walk in clinic that runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week instead of three hours on Saturday and 2 hours on Sunday. What do they expect us to do? Run to Colwood or Langford and wait longer there? Some people would probably not make it if this was the case. So let’s get a walk in clinic going in this town, I think we deserve it.
Cindy Hehn
Sooke