Calgary needs a 24 hour clinic!

michika · #1 12-16-2008, 08:27 AM

This city needs a 24 hour clinic. We have a severe short of family doctors, and all our current walk-in clinics are no longer walk in. The only time you can be a walk-in is if you hurt yourself between the hours of 10am and 12pm, and make an appointment ahead of time. I've been sick for the past two weeks and have already made two visits to such facilities, taking days off for each.

First time I went all I wanted was a cough suppressant so I could sleep. I ended up waiting 2.5 hours past my appointment, and had to go home. They'd seen their quota of patients and it was past 12pm. My appointment was for 10:20am.

Second time, before I even said anything the physician on duty declared that there would be no antibiotics for me and gave me a 10 minute lecture on why I shouldn't ask for them. For the record I was again asking for a cough suppressant that would just let me sleep. I also had pain in my ribs when I coughed and thought I might have fractured something, I asked for an x-ray. The "physician" proclaimed that there was no bruising, so it couldn't be fractured/broken/damaged at all. I don't bruise easily at all, and disputed the physician's statement. I ended up leaving a complaint letter about the visit and the behavior. It was wrong for the physician to immediately assume that I was seeking antibiotics, and dismissing my other symptoms as nothing, not to mention the "I am better then you" tone the guy had the whole time.

Yesterday I started calling for an appointment around town, and was told by 4 separate places that they are only seeing sick children, or sick parents, no non-parents. Non-parents get sick too, and we are no less important then everyone else.

So now its 2 am, I can't sleep, my hacking is horrific, my ribs hurt when I cough, and I'm pretty sure that I now have strep throat. Yay! I guess I will be taking yet another un-paid sick day off for something I've been trying to deal with for over two weeks.

fooser · #2 12-16-2008, 09:34 AM

There is a 24 hour clinic. It is downtown on 4 Street and 12 Ave SW. You should go right now if you need to. Parking is easy at this time of day.

Powertec · #3 12-16-2008, 01:16 PM

Catherine there is also a clinic on 8th and 8th...Kinda a scarey place to go but not bad on the waiting. When push comes to shove i would take my kids down there when emerg was just to long of a wait.
The other option i found when we were there was there is a great clinic in Airdrie that has walk ins. You don't wait forever..Max i ever waited was an hour. Kinda a pain in the ass that you have to drive but better than waiting 3 hours and never been seen.If you want to know the name of it just let me know and i will do some digging to find it...I can tell you where it is but just can;t remeber the name

Hope that helps somewhat and hope you fell better soon

christyf5 · #4 12-16-2008, 02:41 PM

Go to a pharmacy and ask for tylenol 1's. They have codeine in them which is a cough suppressant and may help you to sleep. Thats one way around it.

michika · #5 12-16-2008, 02:50 PM

The clinic on 4th and 12th was the site of appointment number 2 unfortunately.... I got another appointment for later this morning somewhere close to home, so hopefully third time is the charm.

The most frustrating part of all of this is that when I had a primary care physician in Edmonton I never had to deal with all this crap. I wish Calgary would do more to attract physicians, women at that, and help ease some of the issues.

Everywhere you go a cough is low on the priority list of walk-ins and you're constantly being bumped lower and lower on the list. Its a sad and unfortunate reality.

Pier Pressure · #6 12-16-2008, 06:14 PM

So you tried over the counter cough remedies and they did not work? I have never heard of being prescribed something for a cough, and I have had that "anitbotic" lecture myself. You feeling any better? Did you have any luck? Even if you find a family physician next time you go to see them chances are they have moved away or changed locations. I am in the same boat - just cannot win around here for medical attention.

ElGuappo · #7 12-16-2008, 06:16 PM

with all the crap i have been going thru in hte last monthe i from this point on will NEVER gogto another ER in calgary. i will from this point on goto drumheller and their ER. they have more staff than patients and the drive is only 90 min which is byfar shorter than the wait in calgary. my last visit to the ER in calgary i continuslly was passed over over for people with sprained ankles and such. i was only complaining about a pain where i had a tumor removed 8 years ago. and after 6 hours in the waiting room my family doctor ened an i drove to his office and lab and went for xras all in lin less than 90 minutes.

Just my rant about calgary health care or lack there of. i have a friend who is a resident surgen at the foothills and when i tole him i thought they had the worst triage nurses in the country all he could do was AGREE.

ElGuappo · #8 12-16-2008, 06:18 PM

PS if you want i can hook you up with my family doctors number. IMO he is fantastic.

awa1979 · #9 12-16-2008, 07:37 PM

I don't live in Calgary, but in a smaller city in BC but the clinics here tend to suck as well, the ER isn't too bad, but the lack of walk in clinics and more importantly family doctors is concerning.

I found a good doctor south of the border, so I generally just pay cash and see him so I can see the same doctor on a regular basis for an ongoing issue.

You can get a cough suppressant from the pharmacy that contains codeine and its very likely the same one the doctor will prescribe but you don't actually need a script for it. (In BC at least but I'll assume its the same in Alberta.)

Last winter I had a cough the lasted 6 weeks, finally went away on its own, but there wasn't anything the doctor could do, it wasn't bacterial.

Pan · #10 12-16-2008, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElGuappo

with all the crap i have been going thru in hte last monthe i from this point on will NEVER gogto another ER in calgary. i will from this point on goto drumheller and their ER. they have more staff than patients and the drive is only 90 min which is byfar shorter than the wait in calgary. my last visit to the ER in calgary i continuslly was passed over over for people with sprained ankles and such. i was only complaining about a pain where i had a tumor removed 8 years ago. and after 6 hours in the waiting room my family doctor ened an i drove to his office and lab and went for xras all in lin less than 90 minutes.

Just my rant about calgary health care or lack there of. i have a friend who is a resident surgen at the foothills and when i tole him i thought they had the worst triage nurses in the country all he could do was AGREE.

Most People who NEED the er CANT drive 90 Minutes

if you go to an ER when you could wait a couple of days with no harm other than discomfort you deserve to be smacked

As everyone knows complaining of pain, without if have a direct negative impact on your immediate well being is not going to persuade any doctor to get off his or her arse, they rightly tell you go to a clinic.
And no I'm not meaning you...depends on the amount of pain you are willing to live with or can for that matter. Maybe if people went to the doctor only when they needed to the doctors wouldn't be so busy.