A Hamilton doctor on the verge of opening up his first own clinic says he is excited to begin practicing in downtown Thorold.
Head- and neck specialist Dr. Babak Karamy bought the former 1,600 sq ft. Print Three-building via local realtor Serge Carpino recently, and is looking to have crews begin working to transform the old print shop on 15 Towpath Street into a medical clinic sometime in June. Patients with a referral from a family doctor or primary care provider will be able to go to the clinic for a wide range of issues in the head- and neck area, ranging from issues in the nasal passage to dizziness or more substantial surgeries like skin cancers or other excisions in that area.
"I hope to bring excellent health care to Thorold residents in a timely manner," said Dr. Karamy outside his soon-to-be office.
After a long journey through medical school, he is the first member of his family to carry the doctor's title after his parents settled in Canada as immigrants from Sri Lanka and Iran. Currently, Dr. Karamy is finishing up his residency in Hamilton, before taking a few months off to recharge after a demanding grind through medical school.
Karamy will be joining the handful of ENT's who are practicing in the region and is eventually looking to settle somewhere in the area. He anticipates opening his clinic at the earliest in late October - by which time he will be able to take some load off the current waitlist for non-urgent cases that now sits at as much as 1,5 years in some places in Niagara.
"I'm expecting things to get busy right from the start," Karamy said.
The establishment comes as Thorold has seen a shortage in doctors lately, with ongoing efforts from the region to attract new medical professionals to the city.
"This is outstanding," said Mayor Terry Ugulini who, with a small delegation from the city, came out to congratulate Dr. Karamy on Wednesday for getting the location.
"I love news like this."
Ugulini said he learned of the plans about a week ago, and that the establishment of another medical clinic in town comes in just the right time.
"We, Thorold, is turning into a hub in Niagara, and this location is right in between the three hospitals."
Realtor Serge Caprino, who oversaw the sale of the building, said the location is ideal, with ample free parking space, highway access, and closeness to downtown.
"This is one of the busiest seasons we have seen in 40 years," Carpino said.
"Building permits are at an all-time high and single-detached houses around here have multiple copetitive offers on them. It's tremendous growth, and we are turning into the 'real GTA' - The Greater Thorold Area."
