The medical clinic in Clark’s Harbour, N.S., has been sitting empty for two years.
Clark’s Harbour, a small town located between Shelburne and Yarmouth, is home to 700 people. Most of them can recall a time when primary health care was available and easily accessible.
In 2007, a semi-retired doctor living in the Municipality of Barrington offered to work in Clark’s Harbour, with the stipulation that the town build a primary clinic that can provide a space for patients and includes the medical instruments needed on a day-to-day basis.
The town agreed to build the medical clinic next door to its office, under the condition that the doctor sees every resident in the town looking for medical assistance.
Over the next 16 years, the medical practice had a doctor and nurse practioner with regular office hours, evening walk-in clinics, and made house calls.
Clark’s Harbour Mayor Rex Stoddard, said people from neighboring communities, including Yarmouth, and would travel to the clinic in Clark’s Harbour.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the doctor permanently retired and the nurse practioner was moved to another clinic out of town.
“Nova Scotia Health provided somebody two days a week and then they moved on to something else,” said Stoddard.
For nearly two years, the medical clinic has been sitting empty. Stoddard said they have tried to advertise the position and have also reached out to physician recruitment.
“They were impressed with the place but it’s been over a year, but we’ve never had any calls,” said Stoddard.
Whether it is for a check-up or prescription refill, residents in the community are required to travel up to an hour to a hospital in either Yarmouth or Shelburne.
Stoddard said, this has been stressful for many local residents.
“People are scared because where do they go? What do they do? Outpatients is becoming frustrating,” said Stoddard.
The community has a growing senior’s population and while some are able to travel to get care, others have not seen a doctor in two years.
Clark’s Harbour resident, 83 year-old Carolyn Nickerson, is fortunate to have family members to drive her to the hospital but as her health declines travelling is becoming more difficult.
“I had to go down to outpatients and sometimes Shelburne was closed so we would have to go to Liverpool which is a long drive and when we got there we would have to sit a long time because there were so many people there,” said Nickerson.
Due to her declining health, Nickerson is required to travel to the hospital frequently. She travels to Shelburne every month to have her prescription filled. When she does go to the hospital, she said she is left waiting hours at outpatients.
“I’d like to see better care here. It’s very frustrating when you don’t have a doctor of your own. You’re travelling an hour to see a doctor only to sit for more hours waiting to be seen,” said Nickerson.
Nickerson said, without her family she would have no means of transportation. She knows people in the community that cannot travel to Shelburne or Yarmouth and do not have doctors.
Over the last few months, the province has introduced mobile health clinics in different parts of the province, the town’s councillor and community nurse Luann Link said much like the hospitals, the mobile clinics are located farther away from the community.
“We have beautiful clinic that they could use. There’s no reason why Nova Scotia Health could not send the clinic here,” said Link.
In an email to CTV News, Nova Scotia Health said, “Our primary health care team continues to look for ways we can improve and enhance access to primary health care services across Shelburne County. If we have a physician interested in a solo, rural practice, we would definitely highlight the benefits of Clarks Harbour and the existing office space – especially if they are interested in working in a coastal community,”
Nova Scotia Health said there is a full-time nurse practitioner who works from a clinic space in Barrington Passage and would include seeing patients from Clark’s Harbour.
“Barrington is also home to our four family physicians. Residents of Clark’s Harbour can also connect with the Shelburne Family Practice for options.”
For full coverage of Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated page.
