Pre-arrival medical exams and screening
Before arriving in Canada, all immigrants and refugees receive a full medical exam. When they land at a Canadian airport, all refugees are further screened for signs of illness, as is required under the federal Quarantine Act.
Post-arrival medical exams and screening
The Ottawa Newcomer Clinic is the place for refugees and immigrants to get all the health services they need when they first arrive in the city.
The clinic is designed to provide short-term medical services to refugees and immigrants while they look for a permanent primary-care provider.
The clinic has three fully-equipped medical rooms. They are located at 219 Argyle Avenue, in the same building as the Catholic Centre for Immigrants. The clinic is located next to its client-support services office, where government-assisted refugees receive practical advice for starting new lives in Canada.
Primary-care hubs for refugees and immigrants
The clinic sees as many refugees as possible for initial assessments, screening, and immunizations. In the event that the clinic reaches capacity, refugees are directed to designated primary-care hubs for those services.
By providing timely medical assessments and treatment, we help refugees establish medical records that can be handed off once they transition to a permanent primary-care provider.
Some of the designated primary-care hubs will accept privately sponsored refugees as permanent patients at their practice.
However, if those hubs have reached capacity, our centre will support refugees in their search for a primary care provider elsewhere in the city. During that time, either our centre, or the designated primary-care hubs will maintain all medical records for the refugee patients until the transfer of those files can be made to a permanent primary-care provider.
The designated primary-care hubs are:
- Somerset West Community Health Centre
- Centretown Community Health Centre
- Sandy Hill Community Health Centre
- Southeast Ottawa Community Health Centre
- Carlington Community Health Centre
- Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre
For more information, call the Ottawa Newcomer Health Centre: 613-691-0192.
