A second medical clinic in the valley is closer to becoming a reality.
This comes after a week of turmoil in the Drumheller medical community that resulted in Dr. Rithesh Ram no longer being a member of Drumheller Associated Physicians.
He tells the Mail that he intends to still see patients at the Associated Physician Clinic and is in the process of setting up a location for a new clinic, and this process too is moving along.
Dr. Ram has secured a 10-year lease at the Riverside Health Centre Building in Drumheller at 180 Riverside Drive East (on the third floor, above Dr. Poznikoff's Riverside Dental Clinic).
Construction planning for Riverside Medical have already started with work to begin as soon as the permit is approved.
This comes after a week of transition. Dr. Ram tells the Mail he was forced from the Drumheller Associated Physicians, and he feels it is related to a survey he commissioned to learn more about patient experience in the valley.
“The impetus for the survey was that I have heard a lot, whether it be Facebook, my own patients, talk at the hospital or people that no longer live here, many had concerns. All of it was around access, around booking, being able to get in to see your doctor. These are things that are happening everywhere, but when you hear about it from people that haven't lived here for 20 years and it is still happening. So I was curious.”
It will be some time before he sees the results of the survey, however, he does know it has been well received by patients, with over 500 responses.
He said there was talk of expansion of the clinic, Dr. Buller, a female physician starting in July. His spouse is currently studying Medicine and when she completes her studies, plans on setting up in the valley as well.
The report Dr. Ram has parted ways with the clinic began to circulate on social media around midnight on Friday morning and there was massive engagement from Drumheller residents, mostly in support of the doctor.
He plans to have the clinic running shortly.
“I don’t have a specific time frame but it will be as soon as possible and that depends on the support we continue to get from patients, the town, and the community,” he said. “We are thankful for it, and we are doing it for them.”
Dr. Ram graduated from the University of Calgary with a joint MD- Ph.D. degree from
the Leaders in Medicine - Epidemiology program. He was the recipient of the
2013 Award for Young Leaders from the Canadian Medical Association. He has been
practicing in the valley since July 2015.
To fill out Dr. Ram’s survey go to http://www.drumhellerhealth.ca/
As of press time, there was no comment available from Drumheller Associated Physicians.
