Early in 2011, the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region approached the Heritage Community Association about launching a weekly, walk-in, child immunization clinic at the association's center
Having been burned by the health region before, the association was skeptical about the initiative, but agreed to provide the weekly space.
Leila Francis is the executive director of the community center. “Usually in this community, the numbers are not high, so I was concerned that we were going to set something up and we couldn't meet their targets."
Francis was right to be concerned. The health region informed the center that the program will close at the end of September due to failing numbers.
Some clinics saw as few as one visitor in three hours.
But Francis considers the closure of the program yet another disappointment from working with the health region.
“We had been set up again to fail. We had been asked to bring something here when they had no intentions of sticking it out."
For those living in the community, like Cynthia Ackachuck, losing the clinic is a surprise. Ackachuck’s granddaughter was immunized at the clinic. “Actually I’m just now finding out and it's a shock. What's going to happen? She has younger siblings. Now I’m going to worry."
A by-appointment clinic will continue to be available on Park Street for parents and children who did not take advantage of the walk-in clinic over the last 18 months.
The RQHR said they would consider another program in the future if the demand exists, but the Heritage Community Association said this is the last time they will work with health region in the community initiative.
