Woman calls for better waiting conditions at P.E.I. walk-in clinic after standing in cold for hours

A woman from Margate, P.E.I., is raising concerns about Kensington's walk-in clinic after spending hours standing in the cold so her mother could receive medical care. 

Xiaopeng Liu-Ramsay said her mom had been dealing with an ongoing cough. She doesn't have a family doctor, so they decided to visit the walk-in clinic in the central P.E.I. town over the weekend. 

The clinic in Kensington opens at 9:30 a.m. Liu-Ramsay expected it to be busy, so they arrived at 7:30 a.m. to secure a spot.

There were already five people ahead of her, waiting in their cars out of the cold. But as more people showed up, a lineup started to form outside.

"It was freezing cold that day," Liu-Ramsay said. "Seeing elderly and already sick patients endure such a harsh conditions just to see a doctor. It was heartbreaking."

It's not unusual for people to line up hours before a clinic opens on the Island. Liu-Ramsay said she's even done it several times, but normally in the afternoon when the building is already open and they can wait inside. 

This was an entirely different experience — people in the line were shivering, she said. 

Some of them came up with a plan of creating their own numbering system that meant older and sicker patients didn't have to wait as long in the cold. 

"I'm healthy. I can stay outside. I can hand out papers... then you can wait in the car and don't have to stand in the cold and you don't have to worry about losing your space," Liu-Ramsay said.

"I am happy to do that. However, it is not my job."

For some though, the thought of another person holding their spot was too risky. 

"There were two ladies, they just refused to wait in the car because they're so scared that... [their] spot is going to be taken," she said. "It was brutal, it was very, very cold."

The walk-in clinic in Kensington opened in August 2023. Before that, people in the town had to travel the 15 kilometres to Summerside for non-urgent care. 

Liu-Ramsay said she is thankful to have the option nearby, but would like to see a "more structured and humane system for managing the wait times during the winter months."