The reception area at FYI Doctors in Melfort after their re-opening. (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

Local Business Re-Opens

Melfort optometrist resumes business amid first phase of Re-Open Sask. plan

May 6, 2020 | 10:00 AM

A number of local businesses and services are once again open and available with the launch of Phase One of the government’s Re-Open Saskatchewan plan on Monday.

That includes previously restricted medical services such as dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, optician services, podiatry, occupational therapy and chiropractic treatment.

FYI Doctors in Melfort has fully re-opened for the first time since the provincial restrictions surrounding COVID-19 came down in March.

“It was a good feeling to open and provide our services that we’ve been providing, but not at the normal sort of rate that we normally do those services,” optometrist Dr. Trent Rae told northeastNOW.

Dr. Trent Rae at FYI Doctors has weighed in on their re-opening. (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

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Before the re-opening, Dr. Rae said FYI Doctors locked the doors, and a couple of staff members and one doctor were at work trying to do some telemedicine over the phone. If a patient’s condition was urgent, a doctor would see them on a personal basis.

Dr. Rae said the COVID-19 restrictions made a significant impact.

“Business is just about zero, so in terms of decline that is a significant loss of business revenue,” Dr. Rae said.

All staff at FYI Doctors are wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves, and the public. (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

There are a number of safeguards in place at FYI Doctors following the re-opening. That includes safe distancing protocols whenever possible, staff wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and patients also wearing masks. FYI is also limiting the number of people inside the building at one time, and there are shields at the front desk.

Eyewear adjustments are still taking place, but through a side window to the building as to limit contact and traffic into the facility.

Eyewear adjustments are still available at FYI Doctors in Melfort, but are now done through a side window. (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

Despite the re-opening, it’s not really business as usual quite yet. Dr. Rae said they are seeing about a quarter of the patients as they normally would.

“We’re just starting slow for at least a couple of weeks, just to get ourselves comfortable, to get the patients comfortable,” Dr. Rae said. “We really don’t have our full staff back yet either as they have other family commitments and so on.”

Dr. Rae said it could be a few weeks, or maybe even months, before they are back to full capacity.

He said with the PPE and the double-masks they are able to deal with people, and the front desk is doing an excellent job of screening any potential higher-risk cases or situations.

“At the end of the day, I think most of us are feeling comfortable about being back to work, and again [by] taking extra precautions, that allows us to, I think, work safe, and provide a safe environment for the public as well,” Dr. Rae said.

He said emergency cases are currently their top priority.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974