Transferring Patient To Qikqitani General Hospital
  •  Start this process by contacting OHSNI’s case manager. They will oversee the process and coordinate everyone’s efforts.
  • As with all hospital-to-hospital transfers, the first step is arranging for an accepting physician. This phone conversation must be between the Ottawa and Iqaluit doctors.
  • The Ottawa based staff can fax OHSNI-  a nursing care plan and medication list to facilitate the process.  Fax 613-523-8163.  OHSNI will send this paperwork to the Qikiqtani General nursing manager who will assess whether the ward has the resources required, including human, to provide safe patient care.
  • Once OHSNI knows there is an  accepting physician in the North, we will contact the staff at Qikiqtani General Hospital to determine if a bed is available.  
  • There are several transportation options:
    • The patient flies to Iqaluit as a regular passenger on a commercial airplane accompanied by a family member. First Air can provide oxygen on board.
    • The patient flies to Iqaluit as a stretcher patient on a commercial airplane accompanied by a family member.  On rare occasions, a nurse has acted as the escort.  This option can some time to arrange as the stretcher requires nine available seats on the plane.
    • The patient flies to Iqaluit on a Medivax flight. This option is very expensive. There may be delays as Nunavut tries to save air ambulance costs by matching the travel plans of a patient needing to go north with another patient needing to be medivaxed south.
    • Each patient is assessed individually and arrangements are made according to needs.