Windsor Regional Hospital closes PUMA Clinic

The Paediatric Urgent Medical Assessement, or PUMA Clinic, at Windsor Regional Hospital is closing. 

It opened in August 2021 to help serve youth under the age of 18 in need of COVID-19 medical care during some of the busiest times of the pandemic.

10,000 young patients were treated with testing, urgent care assessments and also vaccinations. 

The clinic helped to divert patients away from the Emergency Department to help reduce wait times and since opening, the volume has decreased from several dozen a day to less than five. . 

Hospital officials say with family physician and paediatrician offices once again offering in-person appointments, the time is right to discontinue the program.

"I am proud of the fact the pediatric program could nimbly set up a rapid assessment clinic, in the midst of a pandemic," says WRH Chief of Pediatrics Dr. Sajit Augustine. "This helped to alleviate pressure on our overcrowded Emergency Department."  "We will continue to closely monitor the needs of our community, and perhaps in the future even revisit the option of establishing a permanent outpatient pediatric rapid assessment clinic with the aim of providing faster and timely access to the high quality care children in our community need."

The PUMA Clinic will officially close at the end of the day on Friday, October 14.

Children meeting assessment criteria for COVID-19 testing can book appointments at the Ouellette Campus COVID-19 Assessment Centre.