Two medical clinics coming to North Shore

Oct 6, 2016 | 5:05 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Health Ministry and Interior Health announced on Thursday that two new health centres will open on the North Shore in the New Year, including one at Northhills Mall.

Interior Health plans to re-locate about 80 staff to the North Shore, while hiring more to accomodate the the two facilities — one that will support elderly patients with complex medical needs, the other will deal with mental-health patients and substance-use concerns.

It’s part of a four-point plan that Health Minister Terry Lake announced, hoping to address a lack of family doctors in Kamloops and improve access to health care, particularly on the North Shore.

Interior Health CEO Chris Mazurkewich says the community health centre inside Northhills Mall, and the other on Tranquille Road, will be ready to open sometime in January. He hopes the two clinics will bring from five to seven doctors to Kamloops.