Dr. David Mayer said Family Practice Clinic on Victoria Ave. will continue serving their large patient roster. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

Healthcare setback

Longstanding Nanaimo clinic to carry on despite devastating fire

May 17, 2021 | 12:03 PM

NANAIMO — Stunned doctors and support staff helplessly watched Nanaimo Fire Rescue crews comb through the aftermath of a damaging fire at their clinic.

The Family Practice Clinic on Victoria Ave. at 104^th St. near the Wellington Hall, which helps about 15,000 patients, was destroyed in a fire on Sunday, May 16.

While the shock of what happened hasn’t entirely sunk in for Dr. David Mayer and his colleagues, he expected their patients would be able to receive care virtually as soon as Tuesday, May 18.

“We’re hoping that we’ll have something at least temporarily up within a couple days to see people in person.”

Dr. Mayer told NanaimoNewsNOW interim adjustments to care for most of their patients won’t adjust too much since a majority of their clients haven’t been seen in-person during the pandemic.

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A temporary location is being explored to serve the few patients receiving in-person care.

Crews battled a stubborn fire at a doctors clinic on Victoria Ave. and 104th St. throughout Sunday, with smoke spreading across much of the city. (Kyle Ireland/NanaimoNewsNOW)

“We’re going to continue to move forward with this. This will be rebuilt and the practice is going to continue in the meantime.”

The practice operated on the property since 1976, while the now destroyed wood-framed building stood since 1983.

All patient records are preserved off-site and can be remotely accessed through a secure online database, Dr. Mayer emphasized.

He said their practice is made up of seven doctors, four of which are full-time. Two resident doctors also work out of the clinic which expanded in recent years.

Office manager Debby Cachej welled up in tears as fire investigators snapped pictures of the decimated clinic.

“It’s just devastating, I can’t even imagine. It doesn’t seem real. We’re like a big family, it’s like my home is gone.”

Crews battled a stubborn fire at a doctors clinic on Victoria Ave. and 104th St. throughout Sunday, with smoke spreading across much of the city. (Kyle Ireland/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Cachej said she and other staff members were touched by an outpouring of support since the fire.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue reported the cause of the fire was electrical related.

Nobody was injured.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes