KITCHENER — A new urgent care clinic opened its doors Thursday and will be the only urgent care clinic in the region with late-night hours.

Onyx Urgent Care at 580 Lancaster St. W. will take patients from Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Dr. Michael Kam, a family physician who also specializes in emergency care and cosmetic medicine, said the new clinic will help alleviate wait times at hospital emergency departments.

Kam said "there is a huge need" for urgent care after business hours.

He has worked as an emergency physician at Grand River Hospital and at other urgent care clinics in the region.

"We get tons of patients waiting six to seven hours," Kam said.

He added many people are busy during the day and either can't get in to see their family doctor or don't have a family doctor, which makes a truly after-hours clinic beneficial.

The busiest time at most hospitals' emergency departments is between 4 p.m. and midnight, Kam said.

"It creates this huge backlog of patients," he added.

A recent study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information found that one in five visits to Canadian emergency departments are for minor medical conditions that can be treated by a family doctor or at a clinic.

Onyx Urgent Care will be able to treat minor conditions such as coughs and colds, but can also provide care for minor injuries such as sprains and burns.

There is an on-site after-hours pharmacy, physiotherapy and medical spa.

"We can see pretty much anything an emergency department can," Kam said, except for life-threatening and urgent cases.

"It's convenient for everybody and we are moving toward more convenience."

The facility can't provide immediate on-site imaging and lab testing, but Kam said they will be able to give patients next-day visits instead.

If patients need immediate X-rays or lab tests, they would need to visit a hospital's emergency department.

Although the clinic was open for a limited time on Thursday night, Kam said it will be closed for "finishing touches" until July 7 and will officially open to the public on July 8.

The building also houses Onyx Medical Aesthetics, a clinic that provides cosmetic medical treatment such as laser hair removal and tattoo removal and other minimally invasive procedures.

For more information, you can visit the clinic's website at www.onyxrx.com or call 1-888-966-9963.