Woman calls for better waiting conditions at P.E.I. walk-in clinic after standing in cold for hours
'Seeing elderly and already sick patients endure such a harsh conditions... it was heartbreaking'
A woman from Margate, P.E.I., is raising concerns about Kensington's walk-in clinic after spending hours standing in the cold so her mother could receive medical care.
Xiaopeng Liu-Ramsay said her mom had been dealing with an ongoing cough. She doesn't have a family doctor, so they decided to visit the walk-in clinic in the central P.E.I. town over the weekend.
The clinic in Kensington started at 9:30 a.m. that day. Liu-Ramsay expected it to be busy, so they arrived at 7:30 a.m. to secure a spot.
There were already five people ahead of her, waiting in their cars out of the cold. But as more people showed up, a lineup started to form outside.
"It was freezing cold that day," Liu-Ramsay said. "Seeing elderly and already sick patients endure such a harsh conditions just to see a doctor. It was heartbreaking."
It's not unusual for people to line up hours before a clinic opens on the Island. Liu-Ramsay said she's even done it several times, but normally in the afternoon when the building is already open and they can wait inside.
This was an entirely different experience — people in the line were shivering, she said.
Some of them came up with a plan of creating their own numbering system that meant older and sicker patients didn't have to wait as long in the cold.
"I'm healthy. I can stay outside. I can hand out papers... then you can wait in the car and don't have to stand in the cold and you don't have to worry about losing your space," Liu-Ramsay said.
"I am happy to do that. However, it is not my job."
'It was brutal'
For some though, the thought of another person holding their spot was too risky.
"There were two ladies, they just refused to wait in the car because they're so scared that... [their] spot is going to be taken," she said. "It was brutal, it was very, very cold."
The walk-in clinic in Kensington opened in August 2023. Before that, people in the town had to travel the 15 kilometres to Summerside for non-urgent care.
Liu-Ramsay said she is thankful to have the option nearby, but would like to see a "more structured and humane system for managing the wait times during the winter months."
"I just don't think it's really fair. And it's not the best practice for our most vulnerable individuals to stay outside in the middle of the winter just to secure a spot to see a doctor."
Operators says online booking system coming
Some walk-in clinics work with the platform Skip the Waiting Room, which allows patients to book their appointments online ahead of time.
The plan is for Kensington's walk-in to have a similar option available "as soon as possible," according to the company that operates the clinic.
In an email, a spokesperson for Atlantic Medical Centres said it is in the process of implementing an online booking system for the early clinics.
Liu-Ramsay said that's a good step, but she worries whether it's the best solution for the older people and newcomers who were waiting in line.
"I don't know the answer. I don't know what is the most inclusive and effective way to ensure that everyone can have access to the service," she said.
"But definitely we need something that can help our most vulnerable people."