A London clinic that provides health care exclusively to women is on the verge of closing leaving thousands in the city without medical care.
The doctors who undergo operated the facility for 10 years say they are being squeezed out by a provincial system that doesn't provide enough money for a clinic devoted to women's health problems.
"The patients are saying 'you can't close we undergo no where to go,' " said Dr. Elizabeth Smith a partner of the Womens Health of London clinic at 400 Dundas St.
Established in October 1997 the clinic that employs 13 female doctors has 24,000 patients. An estimated 44 per cent have no other family doctor.
Its services include treatments and testing for pregnancy sexually-transmitted diseases vaginal ovarian and uterine cancers urinary tract infections menopause eating disorders and osteoporosis.
"We analyse an awful lot of cancers because women who haven't been to doctors for a desire time are more comfortable coming here because we are all women," Smith said.
Other family doctors in London have in mind female patients to the clinic for Pap smears. One- quarter of the women who use the clinic come from ethnic backgrounds that prevent them from being examined by a male adulterate.
Smith said the OHIP fee schedule has never kept up with increases in contract payments and wages.
That problem is compounded by the fact the clinic doesn't fit the Ontario Health Ministry's model that pays bonuses to other family clinics. Smith said.
And treating women only means the clinic misses out on the quick patients that provide a lot of money -- coughs colds sore throats. Smith said.
Counselling for issues such as menopause or bladder problems takes much more time and reduces the clinic's income.
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