5,000 Regina Patients Left Seeking Doctors After Clinic Closure

Around 5,000 patients in Regina are now searching for new family doctors following the sudden closure of the Gardens Community Health Centre over the weekend. The clinic, which provided a range of services for families, closed on Sunday after being unable to recruit enough physicians to continue operations.

The shutdown underscores the ongoing struggle in Saskatchewan to secure primary care, as doctor shortages continue to affect communities across the province.

Patients expressed concern over the abrupt loss of care. Kate Malagride, 29, who has been attending the clinic since its opening in 2018 for anxiety treatment, said she is worried about finding a new doctor to continue her prescriptions. “Having that stability was really nice, and now it’s just a little unsettling not knowing where to go next,” she said.

Vanessa Bourlon, 38, relied on the clinic to care for her two children with autism. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Our doctor has been with us for so long that she understands our whole history,” she said.

Tammy Heland, 36, said the closure disrupts her treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and celiac disease. “This isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s catastrophic. I can’t even go to a walk-in clinic to get my medication,” she said.

The clinic declined to comment on the reasons for its closure.

When it opened in 2018, the centre received millions in government funding to enhance community care and reduce emergency-room wait times, although the province has not disclosed the total amount provided.

The Opposition NDP criticized the government for its handling of the closure. Health critic Meara Conway said Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill had been aware of the risk for months but took no action. “5,000 people woke up this morning without access to primary care,” she stated.

Cockrill said the province is addressing the shortage by hiring more doctors and bringing nurse practitioners on board, who can offer similar services. He urged residents without a primary care provider to connect with available nurse practitioners.

Conway said expanding nurse practitioner roles does not fully address the gap left by the clinic’s closure. She suggested the government could have offered better compensation to retain doctors or temporarily staffed the clinic with nurse practitioners.

Cockrill reiterated that the government’s long-term plan is to ensure all Saskatchewan residents have access to a primary care provider by 2028.