The impending closure of the Medical Clinic could stretch volunteers who help with patient transport to the breaking point, according to Red Cross director Ann Spencer-Arscott.

Premier Dr. Ewart Brown announced the closure of the clinic in the Throne Speech in November.

The decision has since drawn two protests and a 3,000-odd signature petition calling for the clinic — formerly known as the Indigent Care Clinic — to stay open.

Among the criticisms of the new plan, which will see former Clinic patients farmed out to at least 20 local physicians, has been that the patients would no longer have a one-stop shop for their health care needs.

But Government responded that charities — citing the Red Cross and Meals on Wheels — could help out in transporting patients to and from their new doctors’ offices.

Mrs. Spencer-Arscott, however, said Red Cross volunteers are likely to be heavily burdened by the move.

“We struggle to get the volunteers we do have,” she said.

“A lot more transportation will be needed, which will make it a logistical nightmare.”

The Medical Clinic provides access to resources of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, prescriptions and medical supplies for elderly, homeless and mentally ill patients.

When its closure was announced, Dr. Brown said it undermined patients’ dignity.

For the Bermuda Red Cross, however, spreading the patients out to different doctors increases the time volunteers will spend taking the patients from doctor to pharmacy or to get an MRI or for X-rays.

Currently the charity helps coordinate volunteers who pick patients up, take them to the Clinic and then drop them home.

Because the patients can access many services at the Clinic, Mrs. Spencer-Arscott said, the volunteers only need to make one stop and parking is easily available.

The new system is expected to be more taxing.

“We’re also concerned about the doctor’s appointments because many may now be in Hamilton and some patients must be helped from the car into the office,” she said. “This will mean the volunteer will have to park close to the office and, in the few instances where they have had to do this, the volunteers have been ticketed.”

Meanwhile, the other charity cited as a possible source of transportation for clinic patients, Meals on Wheels — which provides home-delivered meals to people in need — denied that they are even considering taking on the job.

Meals on Wheels chairman Anne Powell said the charity would like to help but simply does not have the resources.

“We would love to do it, but we don’t have the volunteers to,” she said.

Permanent Health Secretary Warren Jones told The Royal Gazette, however, that Government still hopes the charities will be able to fill the transportation needs of Clinic clients.

“We’re hopeful the current providers will work the same as they do today, but private transportation will be provided only where and if the present providers cannot assist,” he said.