First published in Manotick Messenger
February 23, 2024
By Ralph Tweedie, Manotick Kiwanis Club

Are you aware how convenient the Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) is? The KDH catchment area runs from the St. Lawrence River to parts of Barrhaven. Manotick is just 22 minutes from KDH. It’s closer than the Ottawa General campus, about the same time to the Civic, and a little farther than the Queensway Carleton but with less traffic problems and possibly quicker access to emergency services. In fact, the Manotick area is the 3rd largest user of emergency services at KDH.

KDH has been a community hospital since 1960, the same year the Kiwanis Club of Manotick was chartered. For some of the nurses it‘s a family affair. Their mothers were nurses at the KDH before them. Over the years, KDH developed many clinics to deal with specific health problems, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Plastic surgery and Dermatology. Regional programs have grown to include Total Joint Replacement, specialist clinical programs, outpatient surgery, etc.  The most recent is the Heart Stress Test Clinic which opened one and a half years ago.  They also provide an expanding list of education and wellness programs for the community.

They do have an urgent need however. The Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As the shortage of family physicians for primary care becomes more acute, communities turn to hospital ERs and clinics for basic medical needs and referrals. As a result, the problems presented to an ER department can be much more complex than in the past and often multiple issues are in play.

The requirement is for swift, accurate and detailed analysis of the health issues. The solution: computed topography scans (CT scans). CT scans are much more accurate than x-rays and have revolutionized how doctors approach cases. They are particularly useful in emergency situations where time is of the essence.

Currently if a patient at KDH requires a CT scan he is taken to an Ottawa hospital ER. This ties up ambulances which can be urgently required elsewhere as well as reducing the time advantage. A modern ER cannot function efficiently and as effectively without a CT scanner.

The KDH has taken steps to acquire a CT scanner. Funds have been secured to build the needed infrastructure and construction is scheduled to begin March 2024. The KDH Foundation has launched The Crossroads Campaign to raise $2.2 million dollars to acquire a CT Scanner. It has already collected over $800,000.

In the past 20 years the Kiwanis Club of Manotick has donated a total of $4,600 to the KDH. This year we are very proud to announce a donation of $10,000 to The Crossroads Campaign. KDH has made a $250,000 down payment and the scanner is on order.

We are not alone in our local support of the Kemptville hospital. Half of all donors to the hospital are from outside Kemptville. Of those, more than 60% are from Manotick, Osgoode, and the surrounding area, surely proof of how important this hospital is to our community health.

For more information, or to make a donation visit our donation platform or call 613 408 0086.