Airdrie residents now offered 24/7 emergency care

Starting next week, residents of Airdrie will have access to medical care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the Airdrie Urgent Care Centre.

Alberta Health Services, along with Alberta Health, the City of Airdrie, the Highland Primary Care Network and the Airdrie Health Foundation says the move is to improve access to health services in the community.

“It’s a testament to how we can make life better for Albertans when we work together, so I thank everyone who has helped make this a reality for Airdrie,” said Sarah Hoffman, Alberta’s Minister of Health.

In 2016, AHS expanded the number of urgent care treatment spaces from nine to 13 to address an increase in demand at the centre.

The requirement for expanded health care in Airdrie has been a contentious one for a number of years.

In November 2016, a mother said that the issue resulted in her giving birth to her son Noah on the side of the road in 2008.

Kelsey Brockway’s husband was driving her to the Peter Lougheed Centre in northeast Calgary while she was in labour but they weren’t able to make it and she gave birth on the side of the QEII Highway.

She said that there were no complications with Noah’s birth, but the delay could have had disastrous results, especially given what happened with her other children.

“I have had two other kids since then, both with the (umbilical) cords wrapped around their necks twice,” said Brockway of her hospital births. “If that had happened with Noah, it might not have been such a happy turnout.”

Airdrie Urgent Care provides services for unexpected but non-life threatening health issues that require same-day treatment.

Patients with life threatening conditions will be treated in Calgary and area.