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‘I had tests Monday, surgery by Thursday’: Canadians share their experiences getting health care abroad
By Tammy IbrahimpoorOpens in new window
Published: May 10, 2025 at 5:00AM EDT
Allyson Vandenberg of Toronto was rejected for back surgery before even stepping into a doctor’s office, at a point when her pain had become unbearable, she said.
“One doctor agreed to see me — with an eight-month wait — then rejected me before even entering the room,” she wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca. In severe pain, she began considering medical assistance in dying.
“I had started saying goodbye,” she said.
Then a friend in Mexico connected her with a doctor, an introduction that changed the path her life may have taken.
“We spoke over the phone and WhatsApp until I was comfortable. I had tests on Monday, surgery by Thursday.”
Vandenberg is one of several Canadians who told CTVNews.ca they are turning to medical tourism – not out of luxury or convenience, but as a last resort.
According to the Canadian Medical Association, non-emergency surgeries that can be scheduled in advance, like hip, knee and cataract procedures, are being delayed, while a growing number of Canadians — now more than 6.5 million — lack access to a family doctor altogether.
CTVNews.ca asked readers to share their experiences with medical tourism and why they chose to seek care abroad, and received dozens of responses. CTVNews.ca has not independently verified all the responses.
‘I was afraid I’d end up in a wheelchair’
After more than six years of debilitating back and sacroiliac (SI) joint pain, Ronna Hoogstraten of Glen Morris, Ont., says Canada’s system left her in limbo.
“My L5-S1 disc had deteriorated to 15 per cent, and other discs were starting to slip,” she said in an email to CTVNews.ca. “I was afraid I’d end up in a wheelchair.”
Research led to her finding a clinic in Germany, and she was able to book a surgery date just six days after providing them with MRI scans.
“I had not yet received a referral date for a Canadian surgeon appointment, yet was able to secure a surgery date this quick in Germany,” she said.
‘I had to go abroad to save my life’
Celyn Harding-Jones, a Montrealer, says she was forced to look outside the country after living with a rare brain tumour for 20 years.
“I had to go abroad to save my life,” she said in an email to CTVNews.ca. “I could not find one neurosurgeon in Canada who had any experience with this type of tumour or who was willing to operate.”
“By the time I was 35, I had drop attacks and could barely care for my children,” she said, adding “the process to ask for provincial health boards for out of province care are not transparent, and not designed to be completed by people who are seriously sick.”
Celyn Harding-Jones was forced to seek medical care abroad after living with a rare brain tumour for 20 years. (Credit: Celyn Harding-Jones)
Celyn’s experience underscores the frustration felt by many Canadians with rare diseases, who often find themselves falling through the cracks of the health care system.
“Since health care is provincial, we get stuck in silos because we only have access to the qualifications of doctors in our area," she said, highlighting how difficult it can be to find specialized care when it’s needed most.
Bureaucracy versus urgency
Even when Canadians are told to seek care elsewhere, the path isn’t easy.
Louise Zuke of Alberta said in an email to CTVNews.ca. she was advised by Alberta Health Services to consider surgery outside the country at her own cost — with only the option to apply for reimbursement after the fact. There was no guarantee of coverage or local follow-up care. She was also told to consider care in Ontario or B.C., again with no clear timeline or outcomes.
For veterans, the situation can be equally frustrating.
Jody Beckett, a retired Canadian Armed Forces captain, faced similar hurdles. She eventually underwent cervical spine surgery in Germany after delays from Veterans Affairs.
“They needed several months to evaluate my situation before they would allow my reimbursement,” she said. “I didn’t have several months to wait for the red tape to clear.”
The procedure, which included reconstruction of her spine, cost around $100,000.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/article/i-had-started-saying-goodbye-why-some-canadians-go-abroad-for-medical-care/
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