BARRINGTON PASSAGE, N.S. – Argyle-Barrington MLA Chris d’Entremont has made room in his Barrington Passage constituency office to accommodate blood collection services by the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA).
D’Entremont’s office, located in the strip mall across from Smith & Watts (#3640, Highway 3), was the location for the Barrington Community Health Clinic prior to it being moved to the No Frills location. That location has been closed since June 14 while environmental testing takes place, necessitated because staff noticed an unusual smell in the space.
With the closure ongoing, d’Entremont said he started making inquiries and contacted the right person.
“Since my office was the old blood collection (location), why couldn’t we just move it temporarily into my office and we made it actually work, so they are going to be there until they make a decision what they’re going to do with the clinic over by No Frills,” he said in an interview. “It doesn’t have all the amenities the other place has, and they can’t get all their gear over into my office, but it’s big enough for a decent waiting room and they’ll be able to at least provide the service.”
Blood collection services in the temporary clinic location resume on Thursday, Aug. 16 and will take place Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8 to 11 a.m. The clinic entrance is on the left-side of the building, near the back, next-door to the VON office.
As for the No Frills location, “Air quality tests have been done and they indicate the air is safe,” states an Aug. 15 press release from the Nova Scotia Health Authority. “An assessment of the plumbing infrastructure has also happened. Inspection has taken place on various areas, including drains, ceiling, and walls. Some further investigation still needs to take place in order to confirm the source of the problem. Nova Scotia Health Authority will work with the owners of the building to identify any problems and plan for repairs that may be needed.”
