Airdrie urgent care centre to return to normal operations this weekend

An urgent care centre in Airdrie is returning to its normal operations this weekend.

The facility in the city north of Calgary was to be closed overnight on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from July 22 until mid-September due to a lack of available doctors to cover shifts.

But Alberta Health Services now says that the facilitywill now reopen on Friday.

Dr. Charles Wong, who is in charge of urgent care for the Calgary area, says in the release that four new doctors have been recruited and will start work at the centre in the coming weeks.

He says another $1 million in funding will also add staffing and care spaces to improve urgent care services in Airdrie, which is home to about 80,000 residents.

The critical care centre saw nearly 30,000 patients in 2020-21 from both the city and its surrounding area, which includes north Calgary.