Medical facility ‘a dream come true’
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/09/2018 (2633 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
MINNEDOSA — With scalpel in hand, Dr. Ajai Khandelwal cut the ribbon, officially launching his namesake Primary Care Centre Thursday in Minnedosa.
“It’s absolutely fabulous. It’s something I think that’s been needed,” Minnedosa Mayor Ray Orr said. “I’m exceptionally pleased to see this come to pass.”
More than 100 people gathered for the ribbon-cutting and open house at the Ajai Khandelwal Primary Care Centre.
Guests were able to take tours of the new building, during which they learned about the services it would provide to the Minnedosa and area community.
The centre was named after Khandelwal in honour of his more than 40 years of providing medical service to the Minnedosa area community, Orr said.
“His name kind of represented the whole area, and he’s still working,” Orr said. “What I would like to see happen is when they treat the first patient here, it should be him.”
A key feature of the new health centre has been the emphasis placed on modernization.
The health centre has the most up-to-date modern technology that matches the training new doctors have received, in an effort to entice new physicians to work in the Minnedosa area.
Orr added that a facility of this nature was a needed necessity in the Minnedosa area because it would provide patients with health care close to home and close to the hospital.
Khandelwal said seeing the primary care centre opening was an emotional experience, and that it would play an essential role in recruiting new physicians to the community.
The goal is to have eight doctors working at the centre, along with supporting health-care staff.
“It’s a dream come true,” Khandelwal said.
Work began on the primary care centre five years ago, with the project breaking ground a year ago.
At a cost of $2.2 million, the project was built using a combination of personal donations, corporate donations and municipal funds from the RM of Minto, Oakview and Harrison Park.
The centre also received guidance from Prairie Mountain Health.
“The people they’ve supported me through all these years — it’s overwhelming,” Khandelwal said.
The road to the construction of the centre has been a long one, and it was overwhelming to see it open to the public, said John Mendrikis, secretary of the primary care clinic committee.
The building was funded and constructed by the charitable organization the Minnedosa Primary Care Centre Inc.
With construction finished, the Minnedosa Medical Group will operate out of the building.
Mendrikis said the construction of the building was 98.5 per cent finished, and that it would soon be open for patients.
“The legacy for this building is going to be maintaining emergency services for our hospital here,” Mendrikis said. “It’s keeping the hospital viable, active and ongoing, and for patients it’s the matter of more convince and not having to travel.”
» ckemp@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp