sialoendoscopy treatment for non resident uninsured patients in Canada

[kadjajsd]

So my relative who is not a Canadian resident is having some health issues. They have some stones in their salivary glands.
Unfortunately the ideal treatment, sialoendoscopy, does not exist in their country of residence.
I managed to do some research and found a few places in the GTA do offer it. There could also be offered at hospitals but I dont know yet/
I suggested they can just get the treatment from here. They will obviously be paying out of pocket.
The issue is I am having little to no luck in trying to contact a doctor. I tried contacting the clinic that offers the treatment and they simply told me that the doctor does not treat any uninsured patients. I found another doctor and they said that you absolutely must need a referral first. I am trying to contact my family doctor to learn more about the process. So far no one from his clinic has called me back or responded to my e-mails. I called telehealth and asked them if they can give me a list of hospitals that offer the treatment and the nurse just said its not her area of expertise and to get in touch with my family doctor. How do I go about this procedure?
I am ideally hoping that my relative is able to e-mail their CT scan to the doctor and then they can advise whether they'd be a good candidate for sialoendoscopy or not.

 

[scylla]

So my relative who is not a Canadian resident is having some health issues. They have some stones in their salivary glands.
Unfortunately the ideal treatment, sialoendoscopy, does not exist in their country of residence.
I managed to do some research and found a few places in the GTA do offer it. There could also be offered at hospitals but I dont know yet/
I suggested they can just get the treatment from here. They will obviously be paying out of pocket.
The issue is I am having little to no luck in trying to contact a doctor. I tried contacting the clinic that offers the treatment and they simply told me that the doctor does not treat any uninsured patients. I found another doctor and they said that you absolutely must need a referral first. I am trying to contact my family doctor to learn more about the process. So far no one from his clinic has called me back or responded to my e-mails. I called telehealth and asked them if they can give me a list of hospitals that offer the treatment and the nurse just said its not her area of expertise and to get in touch with my family doctor. How do I go about this procedure?
I am ideally hoping that my relative is able to e-mail their CT scan to the doctor and then they can advise whether they'd be a good candidate for sialoendoscopy or not.

Canada isn't well set up for something like this. As you've found, treatment is focused on those who are covered by Canada's health care system.

My strong advice to your relative would be to look for treatment in a different country that caters specifically to foreigners and offers a high level of medical care. Thailand would be a very good choice and they have a number of excellent clinics / hospitals that specialize in treating foreigners.

As said above, Canada is really not a good choice since it really doesn't have private hospitals and clinics like this. Also, right now it would be very hard to arrange treatment since so much has been delayed due to COVID-19 and the treatment of Canadians would be prioritized. Additionally, it can be quite difficult to get a visa approved for medical treatment in Canada.

Go for a place like Thailand that has a good set up in place for this.

 

[canuck78]

So my relative who is not a Canadian resident is having some health issues. They have some stones in their salivary glands.
Unfortunately the ideal treatment, sialoendoscopy, does not exist in their country of residence.
I managed to do some research and found a few places in the GTA do offer it. There could also be offered at hospitals but I dont know yet/
I suggested they can just get the treatment from here. They will obviously be paying out of pocket.
The issue is I am having little to no luck in trying to contact a doctor. I tried contacting the clinic that offers the treatment and they simply told me that the doctor does not treat any uninsured patients. I found another doctor and they said that you absolutely must need a referral first. I am trying to contact my family doctor to learn more about the process. So far no one from his clinic has called me back or responded to my e-mails. I called telehealth and asked them if they can give me a list of hospitals that offer the treatment and the nurse just said its not her area of expertise and to get in touch with my family doctor. How do I go about this procedure?
I am ideally hoping that my relative is able to e-mail their CT scan to the doctor and then they can advise whether they'd be a good candidate for sialoendoscopy or not.

Given the demands on the healthcare system due to covid there are long wait times for Canadians who have had their surgeries delayed your relative would be such low priority and is unlikely to find a doctor willing to take them on as a patient. There are many countries in Asia that offer medical tourism at a very high level.