Hamilton physician calls on public health to open vaccine clinics to booster-seeking walk-ins
A prominent Hamilton physician is calling on public health to open up more walk-in appointments after working at a COVID-19 clinic staffed by many but visited by few.
Specifically, Dr. Jill Wiwcharuk wants public health to open its clinics to walk-ins seeking booster doses, following the lead of some clinics led by primary-care physicians. At many public health-led clinics, third shots are available by appointment only - and the wait is now weeks-long - though walk-ins are allowed for people seeking first and second shots.
But third doses are the most in-demand.
When I walk into vaccine clinics that are led by public health and end up sitting there for the vast majority of the time waiting to vaccinate people, twiddling my thumbs ... I just don't think it's right," said Wiwcharuk, an inner-city family medicine and emergency doctor. We're sitting there doing nothing, often looking at empty rooms for portions of our shift."
At a recent clinic, she vaccinated just one or two people over the course of an hour. She could be doing as many as 20 vaccinations an hour, she said.
Wiwcharuk wants to make clear: she knows public health staff are working hard. Healthcare staff everywhere are working hard - to the point of burnout.
But she feels obligated to speak out, knowing how many Hamiltonians are desperate for vaccinations amid Omicron's rapid spread.
Public health will not say if it plans to allow more walk-ins.
In a statement, public health said it is working with health care partners from across Hamilton to expand vaccine clinic capacity. A total of 320,000 Hamiltonians are eligible for boosters.
They say clinics are full, not empty.
We continue to see capacity filled at local vaccine clinics, and over the last two days more than 20,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered by local physicians, nurses, pharmacists, along with the support of nonclinical staff," says the public health statement. At no point between the start of Hamilton's vaccine program rollout exactly a year ago and today has this many doses been administered over the course of two consecutive days."
The response isn't surprising to Wiwcharuk, but it is disappointing.
There is an overwhelming feeling of frustration among many of the vaccinators at these clinics," she said. There are so many people who need vaccines and so few able to access them."
She sees public health-led vaccine clinics as incredibly inefficient" due to rigid" booking protocols. Primary care-led clinics, by comparison, are able to run much more efficiently, accommodating walk-ins who need boosters and still getting people in and out the door quickly and safely. And staff at the public health clinics are more than able to handle change - if change was allowed, she said.
In the meantime, doctors are paid upwards of $170 an hour to sometimes sit around waiting for patients, Wiwcharuk said.
The public should be outraged," she said, adding she doesn't agree with physicians earning that much money. The reality is there are gross inefficiencies on the floors of these vaccine clinics that don't need to be there."
Katrina Clarke is a reporter at The Spectator. katrinaclarke@thespec.com