More than 2,000 people have signed a petition objecting to the planned closure of the Medical Clinic.

Jenny Brooks started the petition earlier this month after being alerted to the closure of the clinic, which provides free health care to vulnerable people including the homeless, elderly and mentally ill, through her work at the Salvation Army.

Yesterday she said there were more than 2,000 signatures on the hard-copy petitions and another 100 from an online petition — and she urged people to carry on signing the forms. The closing date for signatures is April 5 and then Miss Brooks is planning a march on Cabinet to present the petition.

Miss Brooks said she was thrilled with the number of people who have signed the petitions.

She added: “People are signing the petition because they are concerned with the closing of the clinic, but also because they don’t like how the Government is doing it.

“The patients I talk to feel like it’s a done deal, especially because the atmosphere at the clinic has become more stressful and there is intimidation of the patients happening.”

Patients are being informed about their futures with the help of two large signs in the clinic titled ‘Closure of the Clinic’.

The signs say: “We appreciate your patience and cooperation while we plan the transfer of your care to physicians in the community.

“We will work with you to make sure this is a seamless process. Your health service will not be disrupted as the Medical Clinic will remain open until all patients have been transferred.”

Premier Ewart Brown announced the closure of the Clinic, formerly known as the Indigent Clinic, in his Throne Speech in November last year and continues to argue that the clinic is an indignity to patients.

At a meeting in Hamilton Parish, on Monday, the Premier said: “We cannot tolerate having a so-called indigent people at the hospital where all financially disadvantaged people are supposed to go.

“We try to replace it with a progressive plan to afford better treatment for these people and there’s a protest organised by the Opposition.”

Miss Brooks, however, said the problem with the process was a lack of information or a plan presented to the patients about the closure.

She also denied any involvement with any political party and hoped the process could remain focused on the patients and the clinic, not political fights.

She said she had contacted Shadow Seniors and Health Minister Louise Jackson only because she knew how to organise petitions.

She added: “I started this after one night at the Salvation Army and I called a lawyer so I could determine the legality of it and the language I could use.

“Then I called Louise Jackson because it was a senior issues and I wanted some help with steps to implementing the petition and Mrs. Jackson has a background in the organisation of these things. But it could have been anyone.”

She will be accepting new signatures until April 5, when she will be collecting the forms from Rock Island Coffee, Sail On stores, Aberfeldy Nurseries and Esso Collector’s Hill Tigermart.

More than 2,000 sign petition