Routine tests tougher to get as Dynacare labs deal with virus

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This article was published 17/11/2020 (1881 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg doctor worries that patients who need bloodwork and other lab tests will be left in the cold as Dynacare has shuffled its operations and closed smaller testing sites to cope with COVID-19 challenges.

Dr. Ahmed Haleis works at Haven Medical clinic at 1763 Portage Ave. Typically, he would send his patients for labwork at a nearby medical clinic on St. James Street, or the main Dynacare lab on King Edward Street, but early Friday morning he was instructed to send patients to more distant locations in Unicity or on Sterling Lyon Parkway.

Haleis said the last-minute closures will make it tougher for his patients, who are elderly, low income, or unable to access transportation, to get routine health care.

“I have a fair number of patients that are seniors, they are in their 80s and 90s, how can they access this? Plus it’s coming to winter time, the temperature will be -30 and -35, how can they manage to do this?” Haleis said.

In an email this week, Dynacare confirmed it has closed 14 labs across Manitoba, citing concerns about social distancing in smaller clinics.

“These were very small locations (located in doctors’ offices etc.) where safe social distancing could not be maintained,” Dynacare said. “We have been redirecting customers to our larger locations, to ensure the health and safety of our staff and patients.”

In a memo Thursday, Dynacare announced its King Edward Street clinic — the only Winnipeg Dynacare lab that processes COVID-19 tests — would close immediately.

On Monday, Dynacare said that last-minute closure was intended to keep staff performing “vital” testing safe. Currently the lab processes more than 2,000 COVID tests per day, with staff working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in rotation, with other regular processing duties.

On Tuesday, Dynacare said it has recently opened a larger site on Regent Avenue that can accommodate larger groups of patients, and plans to open a second larger site on Pembina Highway early next year.

Haleis said he’s still dissatisfied and frustrated on behalf of patients who must travel long distances for routine lab work.

“We need to have this kind of balance between protecting the worker, following guidelines around using personal protective equipment, all of that, but also for the stakeholder, these patients, because these are your own customers,” Haleis said.

“We know it is a hard time, everybody is stressed… but I think it is unfair for a lot of people.”

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jsrutgers