Some of you have reached out wondering if you should seek the advice of a medical professional. As is common at this time of the year, hospital emergency rooms and walk-in clinics are often at capacity with patients suffering from influenza, the common cold, and other seasonal illnesses.
Your Component Health and Safety Committee would like to raise awareness of the provincial health lines that remain at your disposal 24/7, and which may be a useful tool to gain the information you seek.
As is always the case, these provincial resources are not for emergencies and do not replace an in-person consultation with a medical professional. They do however put you in direct contact with a registered nurse, and are designed to help you decide if a physical visit is both necessary and beneficial.
We wish to remind you that if you are flying to China, should you have concerns about operating a flight, please speak to crew scheduling, or your base manager explaining to them your issue. The company has been accommodating concerned employees.
China is the only destination where the Company is offering accommodation.
We also issue a further reminder that if you have a personal N95 mask, these are designed for personal use, they are not to be shared with passengers.
HealthLink BC
Tel: 8-1-1
https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/contact-us
HealthLink BC is as close as your phone or the web any time of the day or night, every day of the year.
Call 8-1-1 toll-free in B.C., or call 7-1-1 for the deaf and the hard of hearing toll-free in B.C.
You can speak with a health service navigator, who can also connect you with a:
- registered nurse any time, every day of the year;
- registered dietitian from 9am to 5pm Pacific Time, Monday to Friday;
- qualified exercise professional from 9am to 5pm Pacific Time, Monday to Friday;
- pharmacist from 5pm to 9am Pacific Time every day of the year.
Translation services are available in more than 130 languages.
Please note that we are unable to provide general health information or advice about symptoms by email. For general health information or symptom advice, please call us at 8-1-1 any time of the day or night.
Alberta HealthLink
Tel: 8-1-1
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/healthinfo/link/index.html
Do you have a health concern for yourself or a child? Call Health Link by dialing 811 for quick and easy advice from a registered nurse 24/7.
The top three reasons people called Health Link last year:
- respiratory problems
- contagious diseases
- injuries/trauma
Telehealth Ontario
Tel: 1-866-797-0000
https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-medical-advice-telehealth-ontario
Telehealth Ontario is a free, confidential service you can call to get health advice or information. A Registered Nurse will take your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Telehealth Ontario is only offered over the phone. Email advice is not available.
How it works
When you call, a Registered Nurse will ask you to answer questions so they can assess your health problem and give you advice.
Telehealth Ontario nurses will not diagnose your illness or give you medicine. They will direct you to the most appropriate level of care or may put you in contact with a health professional who can advise you on your next steps.
The nurse will help you decide whether to:
- handle a problem yourself
- visit your doctor or nurse practitioner
- go to a clinic
- contact a community service
- go to a hospital emergency room
Who can call
Anyone can call Telehealth Ontario to ask a health-related question. This service is:
- confidential – you may be asked to provide your health card number, but it is not required
- provided in both English and French, with translation support for some other languages
- free for all users
What you can ask
You can contact Telehealth Ontario when you have health-related questions or concerns about:
- illness or injury that may need medical care
- illnesses that don’t go away or keep coming back
- support available to help you quit smoking
- food and healthy eating (you will be connected to a registered dietitian)
- teen health and issues
- depression, suicide or other mental health concerns
- breastfeeding
- refugee health supports
- medical assistance in dying supports
INFO-SANTE Quebec
Tel: 8-1-1
https://www.quebec.ca/sante/trouver-une-ressource/info-sante-811/
Info-Santé 811 is a free and confidential telephone consultation service.
811 is the only telephone number for this service. Dialling 811 promptly puts you in contact with a nurse in case of a non-urgent health issue. However, in the event of a serious problem or emergency, it is important to dial 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room.
The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Anyone living in Québec can call Info-Santé 811 for themselves or a family member.
Info-Santé 811 nurses evaluate your health situation and give advice based on your condition.They can answer your questions about your health and direct you to the most appropriate resource in your region. Calling Info-Santé 811 often helps avoid going to a medical clinic or emergency room.
In Solidarity,
Wesley Lesosky
President, Air Canada Component of CUPE