From waitlist to WhatsApp: Why Canadians Going Abroad for Surgery
More and more Canadians are turning to medical tourism not without choice but despair. With more than 6.5 million people lacking family doctors and postponing non-emergency procedures indefinitely, many feel that they have exhausted the public health system. They are flying across continents to Mexico, Germany, India and beyond to save lives.From Toronto, take Allyson Vandenberg. Her back pain became unbearable, but she was denied for the surgery before she even saw the surgeon.
“A doctor agreed to meet me – waiting for eight months – and then rejected me, even before entering the room,” she told CTVNews.ca.ca.ca.ca.ca.ca.ca.ca.
“I started saying goodbye,” she said.
Things changed when a friend in Mexico connected her to the doctor. “We spoke over the phone and WhatsApp until I felt comfortable.
“I have to go abroad to save lives”: delays, islands and dead ends
Ronna Hoogstraten, of Glen Morris, Ontario, said her back and SI joint pain had been overlooked for years. “My L5-S1 disc had deteriorated to 15 per cent, and other discs were starting to slip. I was afraid I’d end up in a wheelchair.” A clinic in Germany scheduled her surgery just six days after she sent her MRI scans — long before she even received a referral date in Canada.Celyn Harding-Jones of Montreal, who lives with a rare brain tumour, couldn’t find a Canadian neurosurgeon willing to operate. “When I was 35, I had already launched an attack and barely cared about my children.”
She criticized the lack of transparency around her or international care coverage.
“The process of requiring provincial health care committees for overcare is not transparent and is not done by people with severe patients.”
She said that because Canada’s health care is provincial, cracks may fall due to cracks. “We are trapped on an island because we can only qualify as a doctor in our area.”
As the system gap widens, medical tourism prospers
Louise Zuke of Alberta said she was advised to seek out-of-hospital care at her own expense, with only a chance of ambiguity.
Experienced Canadian Forces Captain Jody Beckett underwent cervical surgery in Germany after delayed veterans affairs.
“It will take months for them to evaluate my situation before they can repay me,” she said. “I don’t have months to wait for the traditional Chinese tape to clear it.”
The program – spinal reconstruction – cost her about $100,000.
Countries such as Mexico, India, Turkey and Germany are becoming key destinations, said Valerie Crooks, a professor at Simon Fraser University. “Mexico is a major destination because of its proximity and low travel barriers… India is also common, especially for Canadians with cultural or family connections.”
Dental tourism is also on the rise. Michelle F. Renaud of Montreal will be heading to Turkiye for implants: “Including two round trip flights, which will cost me less than $5,500.” Her Canadian dentist quoted her over $10,000, even with insurance.
Others like Ken Hadall paid just $3,500 in Istanbul for a complete dental reconstruction. “My Oakville dentist quoted me $100,000.”
Some countries are leveraging the diaspora health care market to offer bundled medical travel packages, including airport pickups and hotels.
Medical Tourism: Foreign Relief, Uncertainty at Home
Professor Crooks warned that while medical travel can be mitigated, patients must consider risks. “People often focus on upfront costs, but forget about travel, recovery or complications,” she said.
Follow-up care is a major issue. Canadian doctors may not be familiar with procedures completed abroad, and the continuity of care may be affected.
Nevertheless, for many, it’s worth it. “There is no one suitable answer,” Crooks said. “But the patient obviously tries to retract control in a broken system.”
