No HBOT facilities. Patients referred to Alberta or Ontario. NIHB may assist First Nations and Inuit patients.
Quick Answer
Is HBOT covered in Nunavut? Nunavut has no hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilities. Patients requiring HBOT for any of the 14 Health Canada-recognised conditions are referred south, most commonly to The Ottawa Hospital (which has long-standing arrangements to receive Nunavut patients in addition to its Ottawa region service area) or to Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. The Nunavut Department of Health coordinates these referrals through the patient's physician. The federal Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program, administered by Indigenous Services Canada, may assist eligible First Nations and Inuit patients with travel and accommodation costs. Acute hyperbaric emergencies are coordinated by emergency department physicians for urgent air medical transfer.
0
Hospital Programmes
0
Private Clinics
0
Total Facilities
14
Recognised Conditions
Insurance Program
Nunavut Department of Health
Coverage Type
No HBOT facilities. Patients referred to Alberta or Ontario. NIHB may assist First Nations and Inuit patients.
Wait Times
Interjurisdictional referral wait times depend on the receiving facility. Emergencies treated immediately upon arrival; transfer time from Nunavut may be substantial given geography.
Physician referral for treatment in Alberta (Edmonton) or Ontario (Ottawa). The Ottawa Hospital specifically serves Nunavut patients. NIHB (Non-Insured Health Benefits) may assist eligible First Nations and Inuit patients.
Speak with your physician (most commonly through Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit or a regional health centre) about whether HBOT is appropriate for your condition (one of the 14 Health Canada-recognised indications).
Your physician initiates a referral, most commonly to The Ottawa Hospital (which has established arrangements to receive Nunavut patients) or to Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton, through the Nunavut Department of Health.
For emergency indications, the receiving emergency department coordinates urgent air ambulance transfer through the territorial medical transport system. Time-critical cases may require fixed-wing transfer from the regional health centre to a hub airport before onward transport south.
For chronic and elective indications, scheduling depends on the receiving programme's capacity. Patients should plan for an extended stay near the receiving facility for the duration of treatment.
Eligible First Nations and Inuit patients should ask about NIHB (Non-Insured Health Benefits) coverage for travel and accommodation through Indigenous Services Canada, in addition to territorial medical travel arrangements.
Nearest Alternative
The Ottawa Hospital (ON) or Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton (AB).
Hyperbaric emergencies in Nunavut (suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, severe necrotising soft-tissue infection, decompression sickness from northern diving operations) require interjurisdictional air transport, as the territory has no hyperbaric chamber.
Emergency Routing
Call 911 first for any acute medical emergency. The receiving emergency department physician at Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit or another regional health centre coordinates urgent air ambulance transfer, most commonly to The Ottawa Hospital (which has established 24/7 arrangements to receive Nunavut patients) or to Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton. Stabilisation in Nunavut and air transport coordination are arranged through the Nunavut Department of Health's medical transport system; multi-leg transfers from communities to hub airports to receiving facilities are common given Nunavut's geography. For diving-related emergencies, the Divers Alert Network (DAN) emergency hotline is 1-919-684-9111 and can advise on the nearest active recompression chamber.
Nunavut's typical receiving facilities are The Ottawa Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario (the most common receiving programme for Qikiqtaaluk Region patients, with established arrangements for Nunavut referrals) and Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta (more common for Kivalliq and Kitikmeot Region patients given air route options). Air ambulance transfer is arranged for time-critical emergencies; multi-leg transfers from remote communities to hub airports to receiving facilities are common. The federal NIHB program may assist eligible First Nations and Inuit patients with travel and accommodation costs.
The Nunavut Department of Health is the territorial department responsible for hospital and community health services in Nunavut. The territorial system does not operate a hyperbaric chamber. Hospital services are delivered through Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit and through regional health centres across the three regions (Qikiqtaaluk, Kivalliq, and Kitikmeot). Interjurisdictional referrals for HBOT are coordinated through the patient's physician to receiving facilities in Ontario (most commonly The Ottawa Hospital) or Alberta (Misericordia Community Hospital, Edmonton).
Nunavut patients accessing HBOT through interjurisdictional referral are treated for the 14 conditions identified by Health Canada as accepted indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. These include emergency indications (carbon monoxide poisoning, gas embolism, decompression sickness, gas gangrene, necrotising soft-tissue infections, crush injury and acute traumatic ischaemia, severe blood loss anaemia, intracranial abscess, central retinal artery occlusion, sudden sensorineural hearing loss) and chronic/elective indications (problem wounds including diabetic foot ulcers, late effects of radiation, compromised grafts and flaps, refractory osteomyelitis, thermal burns).
Important Note
The Ottawa Hospital hyperbaric unit specifically serves Nunavut patients in addition to the Ottawa region. Canada Hyperbarics has no commercial relationship with the Nunavut Department of Health or with the receiving facilities.
No. Nunavut has no hyperbaric facilities. Patients requiring HBOT for any of the 14 Health Canada-recognised conditions are referred south, most commonly to The Ottawa Hospital (which has established arrangements for Nunavut patients) or to Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton.
Out-of-territory referrals for medically necessary HBOT are coordinated through your physician and the Nunavut Department of Health. Treatment at the receiving facility is typically covered through interjurisdictional billing. The federal NIHB program may assist eligible First Nations and Inuit patients with travel and accommodation costs.
The Ottawa Hospital has long-standing arrangements to receive patients from Nunavut, particularly from the Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin) Region, given air route connections from Iqaluit to Ottawa. The hospital's hyperbaric unit treats Nunavut patients alongside Ottawa-region patients.
NIHB (Non-Insured Health Benefits) is a federal program administered by Indigenous Services Canada. It provides eligible First Nations and Inuit patients with coverage for medically necessary health-related goods and services, including travel and accommodation for out-of-territory medical care. Specific coverage and eligibility should be confirmed through NIHB and your physician.
Nunavut patients accessing HBOT through interjurisdictional referral are treated for the 14 Health Canada-recognised conditions, which include carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, gas embolism, gas gangrene, necrotising soft-tissue infections, crush injury, severe anaemia, intracranial abscess, central retinal artery occlusion, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, problem wounds, late effects of radiation, compromised grafts and flaps, refractory osteomyelitis, and thermal burns.
Most chronic indications require a course of 20 to 40 daily sessions, with some radiation indications requiring up to 60 sessions. Each session typically lasts 90 to 120 minutes. Nunavut patients accessing publicly funded HBOT through interjurisdictional referral should plan for an extended stay near the receiving facility (Ottawa or Edmonton).
Call 911 or contact your local health centre. The receiving emergency department coordinates urgent air ambulance transfer to The Ottawa Hospital or Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton through the Nunavut Department of Health's medical transport system. Multi-leg transfers from remote communities to hub airports to receiving facilities are common. For diving emergencies, the Divers Alert Network (DAN) hotline at 1-919-684-9111 can advise on the nearest active recompression chamber.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-23