No HBOT facilities. Patients referred to BC (VGH Vancouver) via Medical Travel Program.
Quick Answer
Is HBOT covered in Yukon? Yukon has no hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilities. Patients requiring HBOT for any of the 14 Health Canada-recognised conditions are referred south, most commonly to Vancouver General Hospital in British Columbia (the only hospital hyperbaric chamber in BC). Yukon Health and Social Services coordinates these referrals through the patient's physician; the Yukon Medical Travel Program may assist with eligible travel and accommodation costs. Acute hyperbaric emergencies are coordinated by emergency department physicians for urgent air medical transfer.
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Hospital Programmes
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Private Clinics
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Total Facilities
14
Recognised Conditions
Insurance Program
Yukon Health and Social Services
Coverage Type
No HBOT facilities. Patients referred to BC (VGH Vancouver) via Medical Travel Program.
Wait Times
Interjurisdictional referral wait times depend on the receiving facility (typically VGH Vancouver). Emergencies treated immediately upon arrival.
Physician referral for treatment at Vancouver General Hospital in BC. The Yukon Medical Travel Program may cover travel costs.
Speak with your family physician or specialist about whether HBOT is appropriate for your condition (one of the 14 Health Canada-recognised indications).
Your physician initiates a referral, most commonly to Vancouver General Hospital's hyperbaric programme (Leon Judah Blackmore Pavilion, Vancouver Coastal Health), through Yukon Health and Social Services.
For emergency indications, the receiving emergency department coordinates urgent transfer through the regional medical transport system; air ambulance is typically required given the geographic distance.
For chronic and elective indications, scheduling depends on the receiving programme's capacity. Patients should plan for an extended stay in the Vancouver area for the duration of treatment.
Apply to the Yukon Medical Travel Program through your physician for assistance with eligible travel and accommodation costs. Treatment at the receiving facility is typically covered through the interjurisdictional billing arrangement.
Nearest Alternative
Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, BC (~2,400 km by air from Whitehorse).
Hyperbaric emergencies in Yukon (suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, severe necrotising soft-tissue infection, decompression sickness) 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 Whitehorse General Hospital or another Yukon facility coordinates urgent air ambulance transfer, most commonly to Vancouver General Hospital in British Columbia (the only hospital hyperbaric chamber in BC, providing 24/7 multiplace coverage). Stabilisation in Yukon and air transport coordination are arranged through Yukon Health and Social Services' medical transport system. 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.
Yukon's closest hospital hyperbaric chamber is Vancouver General Hospital in British Columbia (approximately 2,400 km from Whitehorse by air, with regular commercial and air ambulance service). Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta is an alternative routing for some patients depending on clinical urgency, bed availability, and air route options. Air ambulance transfer is arranged for time-critical emergencies through Yukon Health and Social Services' medical transport coordination.
Yukon Health and Social Services is the territorial department responsible for hospital and community health services in Yukon. Hospital services are delivered by the Yukon Hospital Corporation (Whitehorse General Hospital and two regional hospitals). The territorial department does not operate a hyperbaric chamber and coordinates interjurisdictional referrals for HBOT through the patient's physician to receiving facilities in British Columbia or, less commonly, Alberta.
Yukon 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
Yukon has no hyperbaric facilities. Patients requiring HBOT must travel south, most commonly to British Columbia. Canada Hyperbarics has no commercial relationship with Yukon Health and Social Services or with the receiving facilities.
No. Yukon has no hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilities. Patients requiring HBOT for any of the 14 Health Canada-recognised conditions are referred south, most commonly to Vancouver General Hospital in British Columbia.
Out-of-territory referrals for medically necessary HBOT are coordinated through your physician and Yukon Health and Social Services. Treatment at the receiving facility is typically covered through interjurisdictional billing; the Yukon Medical Travel Program may assist with eligible travel and accommodation costs.
Vancouver General Hospital is approximately 2,400 km from Whitehorse by air. Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta is an alternative routing for some patients depending on clinical urgency and air route options.
Yukon 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. Yukon patients should plan for an extended stay in the Vancouver area for the duration of publicly funded treatment.
Call 911. The receiving emergency department coordinates urgent air ambulance transfer to Vancouver General Hospital through Yukon Health and Social Services' medical transport system. Stabilisation in Yukon (oxygen, supportive care) precedes the transfer for time-critical emergencies. For diving emergencies, the Divers Alert Network (DAN) hotline at 1-919-684-9111 can advise on the nearest active recompression chamber.
Your physician initiates the application through Yukon Health and Social Services as part of the referral. The programme assists with eligible travel and accommodation costs for medically necessary out-of-territory care. Specific eligibility, coverage levels, and documentation requirements should be confirmed with Yukon Health and Social Services directly.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-23