MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
September 3, 2021
LONDON, Ontario – London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has taken steps to help keep children and youth safe as they return to in-person learning. With children under age 12 ineligible for vaccination, it is important to make sure COVID-19 assessments and care are available for them, especially as they return to in-person learning.
“While getting back into the classroom can offer mental health benefits to kids, we know that many parents may have concerns about such a return,” said Dr. Ram Singh, Interim Co-Chief, Department of Paediatrics at Children’s Hospital at LHSC. “That’s why we’ve made sure we’re ready to assess and care for children and youth in London Middlesex; we’re here for kids and parents.”
The Carling Assessment Centre, located at 656 Elizabeth Street, is open from 9:15am to 6:30pm. Appointments are easily made online. It’s been configured to be kid-friendly, with a separate hallway and peanut-free snacks on hand for the kids.
In addition to offering COVID-19 assessments, LHSC continues to support children, youth and parents through its regular programs and services, including a dedicated paediatric emergency department as well as a virtual emergency clinic. The ED is available 24/7 and the virtual clinic is available seven days a week from 5pm to 9pm.
“As one of four children’s hospitals in Ontario, we see patients from London and environs and as far afield as Thunder Bay,” said Jatinder Bains, Vice President, Clinical Programs at LHSC and Children’s Hospital. “We’ve been working closely with our peer hospitals and the Ontario government to build supports that will enable us to meet the needs of children, youth and parents as they return to in-person learning.”
About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been at the forefront of medicine in Canada for 146 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, the Kidney Care Centre, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 70 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca
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