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New medical clinic with specialization in addiction treatment open in Wetaskiwin

A new medical clinic and pharmacy has opened its doors in Wetaskiwin. Despite only having their doors open since October 2021, with a grand opening set for March 4, 2022, Care Gateway Medical already serves just under 400 patients.
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From left to right: Dr. Mohamed ElSeify, Noha ElSayed, MP Mike Lake, and Dr. Mohammed Mosli in front of Care Gateway Medical Clinic. Shaela Dansereau/ Pipestone Flyer

A new medical clinic and pharmacy has opened its doors in Wetaskiwin. Despite only having their doors open since October 2021, with a grand opening set for March 4, 2022, Care Gateway Medical already serves just under 400 patients.

The new clinic is located inside the Wetaskiwin Mall.

Care Gateway Pharmacy owner and business development Director of Care Gateway Group Dr. Mohamed ElSeify says that, “we are usually seeking communities lacking the health care facilities.”

Dr. ElSeify and his wife Noha ElSayed, co-pharmacy owner at Care Gateway Medical and clinical pharmacist with an expertise in compounding, pain management and a certified Hepatitis C medication prescriber, say that before choosing to put their practice in Wetaskiwin they investigated the need for more medical services in the community.

“We do believe that everybody has to be taken care of,” says ElSeify.

The health care providers at Care Gateway Medical say they make it a point to prioritize lowering the barriers and addressing the stigma associated with treatment and recovery of addiction.

ElSayed states that the clinic also specializes in, “the different diseases that come hand in hand with addiction and mental health.” This includes HIV and Hepatitis C issues.

“We looked at the issues that are very common and highly needed in the addiction and mental health world, and we have specialists that can handle these patients and handle their needs,” says ElSayed.

On May 18 the clinic has organized a free Hepatitis C screening day open for all community members. ElSayed says that Hepatitis C is unfortunately very common, and many individuals do not even realize they have it until they are tested.

Hepatitis C is a viral infection spread through contaminated blood which causes liver inflammation, sometimes leading to serious liver damage.

Specialist in public health and preventative medicine, and clinic owner at Care Gateway Medical, Dr. Mohammed Mosli, says that although the clinic officially opened in October, before that he was over at tent city behind the Wetaskiwin Walmart and working in partnership with the Mustard Seed to provide medical care.

The medical clinic is a community partner with the Mustard Seed for providing medical care to Wetaskiwin’s vulnerable population and is part of Wetaskiwin’s task force for combating homelessness.

Although the health centre does have a primary care practice, “the vast majority of our patients are struggling with mental health challenges,” says Dr. Mosli.

Dr. Mosli says that their approach to addiction treatment and recovery is holistic in that, “medications alone aren’t enough so we have to support people [as they] integrate into society.”

“We have a number of our patients who now have jobs, have moved into their own houses or homes, stabilize their lives, stabilize their relationships. It’s really not like any other medical illness where you give a medication and expect and outcome to happen right away. You need to make sure you are supporting that person to coming back really from the abyss.”

In addition to a focus on addiction treatment and recovery, the clinic has a focus on women’s health with the pharmacy able to supply to a vast range of family needs.

On Wednesday Feb. 23, 2022, MP for Edmonton-Wetaskiwin and Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addiction, Mike Lake, visited Care Gateway Medical to learn more about it and it’s ongoing contributions to the community.