The Emergency Department at our KGH is expected to be busy this weekend and people with less serious conditions should consider other health-care options this weekend
The Emergency Department at our KGH is expected to be busy this weekend and people with less serious conditions should consider other health-care options this weekend
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Matthew Manor

With a busy weekend of Homecoming celebrations in the city, Kingston Health Sciences Centre would like to remind the community to celebrate safely and responsibly.

KHSC has put plans in place to support an increase in patient demand this weekend, but to ensure that our Emergency teams can continue to provide the highest-level of care to the sickest individuals in our region, please read the information below to find out where to go if you need to access health-care services.

Walk-in clinics

Patients with a non-acute and non-life threatening illnesses or injuries that require access to a medical professional should first consider accessing care at a local walk-in clinic. A number of walk-in clinics are located across Kingston; you can find the closest one by visiting: www.southeasthealthline.ca

CAMPUS OBSERVATION ROOM (COR)

Queen's students can access COR, a medical detox service run by Student Wellness Services that offers a confidential, non-judgmental place where students who have had too much to drink can sleep it off. COR main site is located on the Queen’s University campus in Chez Lenny (across from the Leonard Dining Hall). and is open Open Friday Oct 18 at 9pm to Sunday Oct 20 at 7am. For more information visit https://www.queensu.ca/studentwellness/health-promotion/campus-observation-room-cor. 

Urgent Care Centre at Hotel Dieu

Located at our Hotel Dieu Hospital site (166 Brock Street), the Urgent Care Centre provides care for patients with injuries or illness that require urgent medical attention that cannot wait for a visit to a family physician. This could include deep cuts and wounds that require stitches, sprains and strains or deep bruises, mild to moderate asthma attacks, infections of the ear, respiratory system or urinary tract, severe diarrhea, insect bites or rashes. The Urgent Care Centre is open every day between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Emergency Department at KGH

The Emergency Department provides care for patients with life or limb-threatening illness or injuries or patients who have a high likelihood of requiring hospital admission. This could include severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure, trauma to the head, sudden dizziness or difficulty seeing and severe abdominal pain. The Emergency Department is open 24 hours-a-day.

“With many people planning to celebrate this weekend, we need to ensure that people are able to access the care they require in the right place at the right time,” says Carol McIntosh, Director of Ambulatory Clinics and Emergency Care. “We ask that people with less serious illness or injuries seek medical attention in the appropriate place so that the sickest can continue to be seen quickly in the Emergency Department at KGH.”

Patients who are experiencing chest pain, severe respiratory distress, allergic reactions, or the symptoms of stroke (sudden onset of arm/leg weakness, facial droop or slurred speech) should call 911 immediately. 

If you’re not sure where to go, Telehealth Ontario is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week and gives you access to a registered nurse who will assess symptoms and help decide what kind of help is needed and where to get it. Phone 1-866-797-0000.