Qikiqtani General Hospital

About Us

QGH is a 22 bed acute care facility in Iqaluit. The hospital serves the approximately 16,000 people living in the Qikiqtani (Baffin) Region, which is home to twelve communities spread over approximately one million square kilometres.

Specialist Clinics

QGH provides the following specialist services:

The following are available 24/7:

• Pediatrics
• Surgery
• OBGYN
• Obstetrics

These services are provided several times a year:

• Cardiology
• Dermatology
• Rheumatology
• Neurology
• Internal medicine
• Respirology
• Urology
• Orthopedics
• Pediatric cardiology, orthopedics, neurology
• Allergist
• ENT (Ears, nose and throat specialist)
• Ophthalmology

Information for Patients and Visitors

When you arrive for a scheduled procedure you’ll check in at the new side of the hospital.  At check in you will provide your valid Nunavut Health Card or ID as required.  This will allow admission staff to properly identify who you are and prepare the information for your care.  At check in you will also receive an ID bracelet.  This ID bracelet is for your safety and is to be worn at all times during your stay at QGH.  It provides QGH staff access to your information to ensure you receive the proper care.

QGH is an accredited health facility. The emergency room is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The clinic hours of operation are Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..

If you are registering for an appointment please ensure you bring your Nunavut Health care card and list of your current medications. Non-Nunavut residents should provide their provincial or territorial health care coverage number.

Visitor Hours are daily from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m..

Qikiqtani General Hospital Phone: (867) 975-8600

Services available at Qikiqtani General Hospital Clinics:

• Rapid Access Clinic (RAC) – A same-day appointment clinic that runs Monday-Friday, 9am – 5pm.
• Pre-booked appointments with a Health Care Provider (Physician or Nurse Practitioner)
• Option to book follow-up appointments in the future (3-12 months in advance)

Rapid Access Clinic (RAC)

What is the Rapid Access Clinic? RAC is a same-day appointment clinic open Monday-Friday, 9-5pm. The purpose of this clinic is to see clients presenting with a complaint that is appropriate for the RAC. . Each appointment is 15 minutes long. Each appointment includes a basic assessment by a nurse followed by an appointment with a physician or nurse practitioner.

To access a RAC appointment for the day, please come to the QGH Clinics at 8am. You will be instructed to take a number and complete the Rapid Access Clinic Intake Form. Numbers are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Once your number is called, you will be directed to one of the Registration Clerks where you will give your RAC intake form. If it is determined to be an appropriate reason for a RAC appointment, you will be booked into an appointment for that day. when you return to the Clinic for your assigned appointment, please ensure that you arrive early and check in with one of the Registration Clerks.

If the reason for your visit is not appropriate for RAC, you will be instructed to present to the ER or to book an appointment for a later time.

Things that can be seen in RAC:

• Sexual Health (STIs)
• Pregnancy Test
• Last Minute Prescription Refills Only
• Minor Aches and Pains
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
• Cold, Flu, or Sore Throat
• Minor Skin Rashes
• Earache
• Clients presenting to RAC with the following complaints will not be scheduled into RAC and will require a prebooked, longer appointment. A longer appointment is required to ensure that the health care provider has enough time to address your concerns safety
• Chronic pain or Other Conditions Requiring a Controlled Substance (Opiods, Benzodiazepines, and stimulants).
• Moderate-Severe Pain
• WSCC and other Workplace Forms
• Full Physician Assessments
• Chest Pain
• Breathing Difficulties
• Recent Injuries Requiring Imaging (such as suspected broken bones)
• Pregnancy Complications
• Post-Operative Complications
• Referral to a Specialist
• Mental Illness
• Procedures (IUD insertions, Pap Tests, Lumps and Bumps Removals, Joint Injections, etcs)
• Routine Check-ups
• Other Non-urgent Concerns and Chronic Symptoms

Making an appointment outside of the Rapid Access Clinic:

If you have a health concern that requires an appointment longer than 15 minutes, Please speak to one of the Clinic’s Registration Clerks to book an appointment.  

To book an appointment at the Clinics:

• Call (867) 975-8600 and follow the prompts to make an appointment. If there is no answer, leave a voicemail and someone will return your call as soon as possible.
• Come to the Clinics and book an appointment in person.

 Health concerns that require a pre-booked appointment:

• Prescription Refills
• Diabetic Management
• Yearly Physical Examinations
• Speciality Physical Exams (Driver’s Exams, Marine Medicals, Immigration Medicals, etc)
• Referral to a Specialist
• Workplace Examinations and Forms (Functional Assessment Forms)
• Reproductive Health
• Chronic Pain
• Mental Health
• Chronic Disease Management (Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, etc)
• Smoking Cessation
• Blood Work Requests/Follow-ups
• Diagnostic Imaging Requests/Follow-ups

Preparing for your appointment at the Clinics:

• Ensure you book your appointment in advance, for example, if you have a prescription that requires  a refill in a couple of weeks-month, make an appointment as far in advance as possible to ensure that you have enough medications to last you until your appointment date.
• Mark your appointment date down on a calendar to ensure that you don’t miss it.
• Prepare a list of your medications before coming to your appointment or take a picture with your phone, ensuring that all the information is captured in the picture. You can also call your pharmacy and ask to have a list of current medications provided to you.
• Bring a list of questions you may have for your health care provider
• Arrive 15 minutes early to your appointment.
• Register at the front Registration Desk immediately upon arriving for your appointment.
• You will be asked to present your health care card when registering for your appointment.
• Ensure your health care card is valid and not expired. If your health care card is expired, the Registration Clerks can provide you with a form to complete to have it renewed.
• Ensure your contact information (phone number and address) are up to date in the system as well as an emergency contact.
• The Clerk will provide you with client labels once you are registered for your appointment. Double check the labels to ensure that the correct client is listed on your labels.
• If you are instructed to have a follow-up appointment in the future, we recommend that you book your follow-up appointment immediately, this way your follow-up appointment is logged in the system and a reminder call will be done prior to your follow-up appointment.

Specialist Services:

• To see a specialist at QGH, you will first have to make an appointment with a family physician or nurse practitioner.  During your appointment, the provider will determine if a referral to a specialist service is warranted based on their assessment. All specialist services require a referral from a family physician or nurse practitioner.

If you require any assistance with access to the Clinic’s or booking an appointment, please contact (867) 975-8600 and someone would be happy to assist you. You can also drop by in-person to seek assistance.

If you’ve had a positive experience, we would love to hear from you. Please ask for a client survey after your appointment.

If you were not satisfied with your appointment, we encourage you to reach out to Patient Relations at (867) 975-5703 or toll free at (855) 438-3003. They can also be reached by email at: @email.