The Sayward Community Health Society is celebrating the opening of Sayward’s first medical clinic this Saturday.
“We have never had a medical clinic in Sayward,” said Aggie Pringle of the health society.
“The doctor runs little ones out of his house on occasion,” but the village has never had a dedicated space for a medical clinic.
The building will serve a population of about 1,200 people in the Village of Sayward and the surrounding area.
Having renovated the former village office with volunteer labour, the society is now looking forward to building up to full time staffing in the clinic.
The building will open with the services of a physiotherapist and public health nurse. Screening mammograms, blood pressure and blood sugar clinics, and visiting practitioners will be hosted in the facility.
“The ultimate goal is to have it staffed 24/7 with a nurse practitioner,” Pringle said.
“We’ll be looking to add services over the next year, year and a half.”
To date, the society has managed to pull together the facility with donated labour and equipment. They will receive a small annual grant from the Strathcona Regional Hospital District and are hoping to receive funds from the Vancouver Island Health Authority to staff the clinic.
Saturday will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony and a chance for the community to step inside the new clinic.
“We’ll be selling memberships to the Sayward Community Health Society, and invite the community at large to get involved and let us as the board of directors know what services they’d like to see,” Pringle said.
