Doctor’s offices have been forced to adapt under physical distancing regulations but that does not mean physicians aren’t seeing regular patients.
A local doctor is one of many healthcare practitioners trying to get the word out that ‘doctors are still open for business.’
Clinics are offering virtual care remotely, and also prescribing medications this way as well.
“There’s a lot of people, very understandably, are not going into clinics, because they have been told to stay home, but that’s leading to a little bit of a problem which is that people aren’t seeking medical attention for things they really should be addressing,” said Dr. Eric Butler, with Doctors of BC.
“What we wanted to remind people is even though our clinics are not seeing a lot of foot traffic, they have actually changed the rules quite a bit and made it easier for doctors to talk to patients by phone and by internet and video conference,” he added.
Butler says an in-person visit isn’t out of the question either; if it’s needed it can be arranged.
However, he warned residents not to go for drop-in appointments right away, and phone the office first instead.
“Call your doctor and find out what their situation is,” said Butler.
With the University Hospital of Northern BC being designated a primary care facility for Covid-19, Butler also addressed anxieties residents may be having.
“If you’re having something like chest pain, or having trouble breathing, anything that is a very serious medical issue then you should still go to emerg.”
“They have done a really good job of segregating it and setting it up so if you come in with any non-covid concerns, you’re not going to be anywhere near those patients, it’s very separated.”
BC’s Online Self Assessment tool:
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
