Statcare designated super clinic by Quebec Health Minister

Statcare in Point-Claire, Que., one of the busiest health care clinics in the West Island, has been officially designated a super clinic.

The clinic received the official recognition Thursday morning by Health Minister Gaétan Barrette.

Super clinics have been described as “mini-hospitals” that can serve minor emergencies, and thus take a load off overcrowding in hospital ERs. The province has so far designated about 30 such clinics.

Statcare was awarded the title super clinic because it operates 96 hours a week and it receives more than 40,000 patient visits a year.

While the official announcement was made Tuesday, the clinic has been meeting the super clinic criteria since October 1, 2017.

In fact, Statcare director general, Eleanor Phelan Mootoosawmy, says her clinic receives 56,000 patient visits a year.

Plus, the $160,000 in promised funding from the minister is now in the hands of a sub-health department — the West Island Social Services organization.

“It somehow got caught up in the red tape of finance,” Mootoosawmy told Global News.

She adds that six doctors are also leaving the clinic by the end of the year and she will have to find replacements from other health care institutions from outside her region.

“We’re having no replacement whatsoever for the six doctors that are leaving,” she said.

Despite the shortcomings, Mootoowawmy hopes to recruit at least one new doctor by the end of the year and get the funding promised by the end of the week and continue to provide top quality medical service to patients.