Embassy of the United States Ottawa, Canada

A list of Ottawa-area physicians (36KB PDF) is available from our Consular Section.

General Medical Information

In the event of an emergency, dial 911.

This is a universal number and will bring emergency service, i.e. ambulance, police, fire department, to any locale in Ottawa or its environs. Tell the operator where you are and what the emergency is. The operator will connect you to the service you need. If you are at a pay phone, just dial 911 -- no money is required. The quickest way to obtain emergency medical service in non-threatening instances is to go directly to the Emergency Room at the nearest hospital.

Medical care is provided throughout the province by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Generally speaking, medical coverage by OHIP may be obtained if the individual acquires a Canadian work permit or landed immigrant or Permanent Resident (PR) status in Canada. There is a 3 months waiting period from the date of employment or landed status before the card takes effect. The individual must establish a residence in Ontario at least 3 months to qualify and cannot leave the country for at least 6 months after submission of the request for OHIP coverage.

For further information on the health plan, you should contact ServiceOntario's Infoline at 1-866-532-3161 between 8:30 am and 5 pm. Those who cannot qualify for OHIP must ensure that their U.S. medical insurance will provide adequate coverage abroad. Private U.S. coverage is usually acceptable in the Province of Ontario.

Family physicians provide primary care. Specialists are only seen when a patient has been referred by a family physician. Family physicians are not available outside regular office hours. If you need to see a physician immediately, you will need to go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. This is standard practice. The emergency room is staffed by family physicians on a rotational basis and they provide care that you would normally expect your "on-call" doctor to provide.