Sometimes, if one hospital does not have the available space for treatment, the patient could be taken to another hospital for emergency or other treatment. To access hospital services, you must possess a health card.
Foreigners that require hospital services in Canada, may be required to pay for them depending on the length of hospital stay and the nature of illness or injury. If you find yourself in a situation that you require emergency or hospital services you should contact them using the appropriate contact numbers.
For emergencies, call 911 and ask for an ambulance. Always call an ambulance in the case of a medical emergency, regardless of your health cover situation.
For non-emergencies, you usually need to be referred by your physician (GP) to the relevant hospital department.
In Ontario, there is a telephone helpline for health issues called TeleHealth: 1-866-797-0000.