The closure of Mallorytown’s only virtual walk-in clinic a few weeks ago was devastating news for area residents.
But after the health minister announced Thursday that Ontario plans to fund 150 nurse practitioners, there is hope that one of them may end up in the small town near Brockville.
Two residents of the area, Angie Cowan and Alison Wilson, are counting the number of signatures they have gathered on their petition for the return of medical services to the Mallorytown area.
The ultimate walk-in clinic in Mallorytown, Ont. to close friday
Medicago shuts down operations in Quebec, thwarting COVID-19 vaccine production plan
The Good Doctor clinic closed its doors at the beginning of the year after the province reduced the fees charged by virtual clinics from $37 to $20.
Now, there is some new hope.
“We’re ecstatic,” says Cowan.
“We’re not just going to have a virtual clinic, we’re going to be a nurse practitioner and that’s great news. Now we just have to find one, obviously.”
Their hope is fueled by their MPP Steve Clark, who vows to fight to get a nurse practitioner in Mallorytown.
“You know Mallorytown will be at the front of the line,” Clark says.
Clarke says he’s already getting the ball rolling to bring one of those nurse practitioners to the front of Yonge.
“I’m already in contact with the provincial health ministry, there are already some things in motion,” he says.
Beyond that, the municipality is moving just as quickly, says Young Mayor Roger Haley.
Kingston, Ont. Up to one walk-in clinic for the whole city
Governments looking for buyer as Quebec COVID-19 vaccine maker Medicago shuts down
“The working group will come together next week and try to finalize the plan,” Haley says.
“We don’t really know who or where we’re going to find that nurse practitioner — there’s bound to be some potential, hopefully someone in the community itself.”
But until a deal is finalized, Cowan and Wilson will continue counting signatures on their petition.
“I’m not quite sure yet,” says Wilson.
“Something else has to happen for me to know it’s going to move.”
The expectation is that ‘some more’ will be a nurse practitioner seeing local patients in their own community.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.