A new Midwifery Antenatal Care Clinic inside Royal Inland Hospital is not meant to replace the Thompson Region Family Obstetrics clinic, which is set to close at the end of July.

“This is a permanent clinic. It is designed to be a part of the continuum of care for maternity in Kamloops,” Lisa Zetes-Zanatta, Interior Health’s Director of Clinical Operations for Kamloops told RadioNL.

“The timing with the end of July was absolutely part of this however, this was always anticipated to be a clinic and a service that we planned on offering.”

The health authority says unattached pregnant patients in the Kamloops area can get ongoing care at the Midwifery Antenatal Care Clinic before giving birth. It is open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, and its located on the first floor of the Clinical Services Building at Royal Inland Hospital.

Zetes-Zanatta says patients will be referred to the midwifery clinic by family doctors, nurse practitioners, midwives, and the Urgent Primary Care and Learning Centre (UPCLC) at RIH. Those without a family doctor or a nurse practitioner are being told to contact the Kamloops UPCLC at 250-314-2256 to book an initial appointment ,  which will then refer them onto to this new midwifery clinic.

“One of the challenges that we’ve had is the number of patients who are not attached to a primary care provider,” Zetes-Zanatta said, noting patients who have had their initial appointments at the Kamloops UPCLC are automatically added to the referral list.

“They haven’t had easy access to prenatal care so the purpose of this clinic is the provision of prenatal care for patients who have had a dating ultrasound and their lab work completed.”

Zetes-Zanatta says people who currently on the referral list will be contacted by June 19 so they can book appointments based on their due dates and other specific needs.

“So we have approximately 100 women that were on the referral list for this clinic,” she added. “We want to get through that group because they are the ones who have the closest due dates and that is how we book people into the clinic. It’ll be based ion the date they’re expecting to have the baby.”

Patients can contact the Midwifery Antenatal Care Clinic at 250-314-2782, and then press 1 to leave a message. The health authority says staff will check messages frequently and respond in a timely manner.

People who less than 20 weeks pregnant or are postpartum and have an after-hours emergency, are being told to the go the emergency room at RIH. Those who are 20 weeks pregnant or more with an after-hours pregnancy-related emergency, are being told to go to obstetrical unit at Royal Inland Hospital or call 250-314-2635.

As for the future of the TRFO clinic, Health Minster Adrian Dix told Kamloops media last month that a plan to keep the doors open is in the works.

“People ask me about this and say ‘Well, what is the progress?’ and the progress is that we are working together on short-term solutions and more importantly, solutions that take and last,” Dix said.