KAWARTHA LAKES-The Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative outlined the challenges facing primary healthcare in Kawartha Lakes, including recruitment and retention of Family Physicians at a recent council meeting. Member, Andrew Veale asked Council to provide funding support for the after-hours clinic in Lindsay as a first step to supporting recruitment and retention. Officials say this funding would decrease the financial burden put on physicians to keep this clinic running. Having a sustainable model for after-hours care potentially means fewer patients will be turned away.
A motion was passed that $216,000 from the special reserve for primary healthcare be released to the Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative to fund the Lindsay based After Hours Clinic (AHC) for the rest of 2024. An additional $40,000 will be released to the Kawartha North Family Health Team to offset AHC operating costs. The Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative has been asked to report back to Council by end of the year on how the funds were used, resulting service enhancements, provincial funding efforts and future year funding requests.
