A medical plan has been created to deal with the influx of participants into Hay River next month for the 2018 South Slave Arctic Winter Games.
Erin Griffiths, the CEO of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, updated town council on the planning on Jan. 30.
A larger than normal number of physicians will be in town during the games.
"Flights are booked," Griffiths told council. "Everyone is ready to come to town."
The athletes, coaches and games participants will be cared for at a separate polyclinic at the Hay River Regional Health Centre.
A polyclinic is simply a clinic that treats an assortment of injuries and diseases.
Griffiths said it will be a well-staffed and a well-supported polyclinic.
It will open on March 16 when some athletes begin practising and will operate until the closing ceremonies.
The games are set from March 18 to 24.
Griffiths told council that the games participants will get priority for rehabilitation and diagnostic services, such as X-rays, ultrasounds or laboratory tests.
"The general public may experience a slight delay in service during the games," the CEO noted.
"We really want to cater to the athletes so they can get in, get checked out and everything, and hopefully get resolved and get treated, and get back and ready to play for their next game," she added. "So we really want to give the athletes priority during that time."
The health authority will be communicating its plans to community residents by the end of February or early March to let them know there may be slight wait times for diagnostic services at the health centre during the games.
Speaking to The Hub later last week, Griffiths explained the polyclinic will be located in the ambulatory care area of the health clinic.
"It will be separate from the medical clinic," she said.
The games will have no impact on public access to the medical clinic.
Griffiths said that's why additional physician support was hired.
Usually there are five physicians in town, but there will be seven physicians working in Hay River during the games, along with two medical residents who are finishing the last year of medical school.
"We had no problem recruiting physicians and additional support for the Arctic Winter Games," said Griffiths. "They all want to come up and experience the event."
Planning for the polyclinic for games participants has been underway since September by the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.