Seven years after the Exchange District Campus health clinic closed, students face limited access to on-campus health care
By: Maryrose Vilenna
Students and staff are questioning why there are no on-campus health services available at RRC Polytech’s Exchange District Campus (EDC).
The EDC’s health clinic closed in 2017 because students weren’t using it often, according to an email from Emily Doer, the college’s communications and public relations manager.
Doer said the college is renovating a space at EDC into a health centre to better serve the students downtown—no timeline has been set.
“It took me two days to look for a clinic where they could do direct billing with the student insurance plan,” said Gian Mascarenas, an international student. “I would’ve gone to the school clinic if there was one here.”
Mascarenas hurt his shoulder at his home on April 13.
Mascarenas’ friend, Kalsea Codilan, compares the available health care resources at EDC to another post-secondary institution.
“We were concerned for him,” said Codilan. “At the University of Manitoba, they had an on-site clinic where students could get first aid when I was a student there.”
The University of Manitoba has two health clinics.
“One student came and asked us if there was a clinic on-site,” said Analee Santiago, cashier at the EDC Campus Store.
Santiago said she remembers a student with a burn on their hand coming into the store and the only thing she could offer was a Band-Aid from the shelf—at that time she wondered why the campus didn’t have a clinic.
The Steinbach Campus offers health care programs, and their classrooms with hospital beds serve as a recovery place for students who have migraines; they also refer students to the clinics and hospitals around the area, said Steinbach office manager Cindy Jonker in a phone interview.
The Portage la Prairie Campus doesn’t have a nurse on-site, according to Jennifer Rodas, administrative assistant.
The Winkler Campus refused to comment.
The NDC clinic has three nurses, and there is usually a nurse on-site from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., said Harman Kaur, administrator, in a phone interview.
RRC Polytech students can walk-in or book appointments at the NDC clinic to access their services, and nurses make routine visits to EDC for scheduled appointments.
The available resources in EDC are first-aid trained security guards, AEDs around the school, and over-the-counter medications sold at the Campus Store.
To find health services in Manitoba, visit the Shared Health website. In case of an emergency call 911.
