The Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH), in partnership with the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, has begun planning for an opening of a COVID-19 Assessment Centre in Winchester.
According to a media release, the centre will be used exclusively for the purpose of COVID-19 assessments. WDMH is currently seeing a very small number of patients with COVID-19 symptoms so there is no planned opening date yet.
CEO Cholly Boland says they are planning for something they hope they will never have to open.
“But sometime in the future, we expect that the number of people coming to our ER with suspected cases of the virus may grow substantially and we want to be ready to support them in a safe environment.”
The assessment centre will be in the Lions Club Hall on Albert Street. Signs will be in place for entrances and parking.
This centre will help to divert patient volumes from the Emergency Department, helping to keep the Emergency Department for emergencies. The site will be operated by WDMH staff, physicians and primary care physicians from the community, according to the media release.
Boland thanks the Lions Club for sharing the facility.
More details about the Assessment Centre will be provided as planning unfolds.
For updates on COVID-19 visit the Eastern Ontario Health Unit website here.