Beginning November 17, Ste. Agathe residents will have access to their own hometown doctor. Using newly created clinic space inside the Ste. Agathe Pharmacy, Dr. Riviraj Warnakulasooriya, more easily called Dr. Rivi, will meet with scheduled and drop-in patients from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. every Friday going forward.
Bassem Khalil and Mira Behera have owned the pharmacy in Ste. Agathe since May 2021. Khalil says that their client base has been growing steadily ever since it opened, so it seemed a natural fit to create space for a doctor’s office next.
Starting slowly, Dr. Rivi is prepared to increase his hours and the number of days he’s in Ste. Agathe if demand requires it.
His practice will start as a quick care clinic at the outset, treating patients who have fevers or other minor health concerns.
If the practice takes off, he’ll be able to take on patients as their family physician and diagnose and treat more serious ailments.
“He can’t commit to being a family physician [in Ste. Agathe] now because two hours a week is not enough,” Khalil says.
Khalil met Dr. Rivi while working from his pharmacy in Pine Falls. Dr. Rivi currently practices in a number of emergency rooms in the Interlake region as well as Selkirk and Winnipeg.
“To be honest, I’ve talked to another five or six doctors, but Dr. Rivi is the one that wants to start here,” Khalil says.
This is exciting news for Khalil, who says that many of his clients have no doctor at this time.
“In Steinbach, the waiting time there is three years to find a doctor,” Khalil says. “And I know that Niverville is busy, too. All my patients are struggling to find a doctor. Why not that we should have a local doctor at our building?”
At this stage, Khalil says that patients can make appointments to see Dr. Rivi at the Ste. Agathe clinic by calling the pharmacy’s phone line. Eventually, Khalil hopes to hire a receptionist to manage his bookings.
To book an appointment with Dr. Rivi, call 204-882-2575.
