Airdrie health centre to be open 24 hours a day

The Airdrie Community Health Centre will soon be open all the time, 24/7, after many years of lobbying by residents of the 60,000 bedroom community, CBC News has learned.

Angela Pitt, the Wildrose MLA for Airdrie, says it's a step in the right direction.

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"It's a good first step towards addressing the health care needs for the people of Airdrie," Pitt told CBC News Tuesday evening.

"However, I look forward to continue to work with this government to actually address the needs here and be able to adequately take care of the people."

Currently the facility is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Outside of those hours resident have to travel to the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary.

Pitt says in an ideal world, Airdrie would get a new facility with upgraded 24-hour emergency care.

"The concern with the 24-hour announcement is that this will become a 24-hour waiting room," Pitt said.

'Very positive'

"The facility itself does not meet the needs of the community, however we are very positive with the direction that has been taken thus far and very positive about where we are going to be going with this."

The government issued a news release Tuesday afternoon statingthe health minister would "speak about the ongoing work to improveAirdrie's health care," on Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m.

Airdrie is about 15 kilometres north of Calgary.

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