Harbour Grace continues push for ambulatory care centre

By Mark Squibb

Members of council and Town staff are still hoping to secure Harbour Grace as the location for a new ambulatory care centre.

The matter was first raised in January, when council determined to petition the Department of Health and Community Services about the potential for a new medical care hub in the community.

Mayor Don Coombs, during this month’s public meeting, said that in recent week’s town representatives, including Fire Chief Dave Earle, met with Health Minister Tom Osborne and provincial government staff regarding ambulatory services.

Coombs said the Town has also met with the local RCMP detachment to request stats that may be helpful in the bid for a health centre.

He said the meetings were productive, and the Town will be writing an official request to the provincial government in the near future.

The push for the centre comes on the heels of the provincial government’s announcement that it had awarded a $4.1 million contract to the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Alliance for a 20-year lease of the former Costco Building on Stavanger Drive in St. John’s for use as an ambulatory care centre.

Ambulatory care hubs typically provide services that don’t require overnight hospitalization, such as outpatient physiotherapy, medicine and surgery clinics, general x-rays, and ultrasounds.