Children's Clinic operator says Brunswick Medical Centre won't suffer the same fate

After the sudden closure of the Children's Clinic in Montreal last week, there are growing concerns about the future of another clinic operated by the same company.

The Brunswick Health Group runs a clinic of the same name -- the Brunswick Medical Centre -- in Pointe-Claire.

The clinic is a busy place, visited by roughly 300,000 patients a year. Despite this, its operator is deeply in debt.

"There's about $42 million of secured debt. And that's the main reason of their financial difficulty, is that they're not able to pay their debt," said Ayman Chaaban, a court-appointed insolvency trustee working to restructure the Brunswick Health Group.

He says a deal is in place with another operator to buy the Brunswick Medical Centre. The transaction is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

"That potential purchaser, basically, is going to take over and operate the clinic," Chaaban explained.

A source confirmed to CTV News that the buyer is ELNA Medical Group.

Unlike the Children's Clinic, the Brunswick Medical Centre is expected to stay open.

Chaaban stressed that despite Brunswick's heavy debt, this is not a bankruptcy.

"It's not a bankruptcy, it's a restructuring. Bankruptcy means liquidations, means there's no operations anymore here. We're talking more about a restructuring process," he said.

Vince Trevisonno, CEO of the Brunswick Health Group, says the clinic was hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic; with physicians helping out in hospitals, its revenues dropped -- and costs soared.

He's confident that, even after the sale of the clinic, its 300,000 patients won't have to find a new place for medical care.

'Disappointing' news about Children's Clinic

The Children's Clinic announced its closure on Thursday, to the surprise of many parents.

The clinic opened in 2015 to divert less complex patients away from the Montreal Children's Hospital.

For mother-of-three Julie Labrecque, the clinic was key to managing her children's health conditions, which require frequent follow-ups with doctors.

"It's very disappointing. It's really tough," she said. "And I know it's not just in pediatrics -- it's everywhere. Everyone's struggling with [health care]."

She feared the closure will lead to more lengthy ER visits to families with non-urgent cases.

"We call doctor when we have a problem, and it's nice to be able to go see them. So, not having that service is a little tough, and I can only imagine that the hospital is going to be even busier with this happening."

The Children's Clinic said it's working with doctors to help transition their practice to other locations.