I was feeling very sick for the past few weeks, with an undying cough, a runny nose and a pounding migraine. So I decided to visit a clinic that was nearby on 100 Avenue.
I walked in at around 3 p.m. and asked to see a physician about my symptoms, but I was denied because the doctor would not take “new” patients at that time. I was infuriated but decided to bite my tongue and walk away because of coming in at a fairly late time.
So the next day I came in extra early at around 9:30 a.m. so I knew for sure I would be seen. I walked in, saw the same receptionist, and asked to see a doctor.
The first thing she asked was “have you been here before?” My first reaction was “yes” but I knew she meant whether I was new or not, so I said “no.” She immediately denied me and said that the doctor would not see any new patients because she was leaving at 2 p.m. As I looked around the room, all I could see was one or two patients.
Anyways I just wanted to shine a light on this clinic and maybe others around British Columbia to let the clinics know that discriminating and denying patients because they are “new” is not right. The clinics need to understand that saving money or saving time does not override the rights of a patient seeking medical attention.
Peter Lee
