It can be challenging to stay healthy when facing life under the poverty line. Below are some resources to offer medical support in Nanaimo.
Helpful Links
BC Health and Drug Coverage: Offers an easy online option for low-income BC families to apply for government coverage.
Red Cross Medical Equipment Loan program: Free loans with medical referral.
Wheels for Wellness: Provides transportation for residents of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, to and from non-emergency medical appointments.
Vancouver Coastal Health Extreme Heat Resources: Provides information about how to protect yourself from extreme heat, signs of illness from heat, and how to create cooling spaces.
Vancouver Coastal Health Wildfire Resources: Outlines who is at risk from wildfire smoke, how to protect ourselves, and shares other resources.
BC Smoking Cessation Program: Helps people stop smoking or using other tobacco products. It assists people with the cost of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products or smoking cessation prescription drugs.
Self-Management BC: Offers FREE health programs for adults of all ages with one or more ongoing health conditions. Programs are offered in person, virtually, online, by telephone, or by mail for adults living in BC.
Donate A Mask: Donate A Mask is a volunteer-run registered charity that ships free N95 equivalent masks to anyone in Canada who requests them.
See a Doctor
Central Nanaimo Urgent & Primary Care Centre: You can visit this clinic for same-day care if you have a health concern that should be seen within 12 to 24 hours. For life-threatening emergencies, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Your family doctor or nurse practitioner knows your health-care needs best and may be able to offer you an appointment. If you can’t see them, we’re here to help. Currently, this clinic is operating out of the Comox Valley Nursing Centre.
Medical Arts Centre Nanaimo Walk-in Clinic: For patients who do not have a family doctor or their family doctor is not available, we provide a “Walk In Urgent Care Clinic.” Hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 9pm, Saturday, Sunday & Stat. Holidays (except Christmas Day) 9:00 am to 6pm.
Oceanside Urgent Care & Health Centre: Offers a range of services, including urgent care, mental health supports, laboratory services and medical imaging/radiology. You can visit the Urgent Care Centre for serious health issues that are not life-threatening. (489 Alberni Hwy, Parksville)
Ladysmith Urgent Care & Community Health Centre: The Ladysmith Community Health Centre offers a range of services, including urgent care, mental health and substance use supports, and access to the Neurological Rehabilitation Outpatient Program. You can visit the Urgent Care Centre for serious health issues that are not life-threatening. (1111-4th Avenue Ladysmith)
First Nations Health Authority – First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day: This is a unique service open to all First Nations people and their families living in BC. The program includes doctors of Indigenous ancestry. All doctors and allied health care professionals are trained to follow the principles and practices of cultural safety and humility.
Children
BC Healthy Kids Program Brochure: Helps low income families with the costs of basic dental care, prescription eyewear and hearing assistance for their children.
BC Application for MSP Supplementary Benefits (to qualify for Healthy Kids)
Generation Health: Free program for children ages 8 to 12: Program for families with children aged 8 to 12-years-old who want to be on a healthy lifestyle path.
Foundry Virtual BC: Young people aged 12-24 and their caregivers can access virtual services through the Foundry BC app from anywhere in British Columbia!
Dental Care
VIU Dental Clinic: Teaching clinic where dental hygiene students provide cost-effective dental care.
Connective Nanaimo CODE Dental Clinic: Non-profit dental clinic that provides extractions and restorative procedures at half the cost of a regular clinic.
Downtown Dental Group: Offers no fee financing options.
Canadian Dental Care Plan: The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is helping make the cost of dental care more affordable for eligible Canadian residents.
Vision Care
Specsavers Nanaimo: Offers eye exams to clients on PWD, who are children, and who are diabetic with no additional charge over what the ministry pays on their behalf. Also works with low-income clients to keep costs for glasses low.
Birth Control and Sexual Health
Medical Arts Centre: Offers an IUD clinic. Call for details.
Health Matters Clinic: Free and Confidential STI Testing and Treatment + Hep C and Rapid HIV Testing.
Nanaimo Options for Sexual Health Clinic offers free birth control for people in BC with MSP (low-cost for those without MSP), STI care, Pap screening, pregnancy testing and pregnancy options counselling.
Nanaimo Youth Wellness Centre at NAC available for young people up to age 25 to access vital health and wellness services.
Pharmacists can prescribe and provide many types of contraception (birth control).
Cervix Self-Screening: Screen for cervical cancer yourself, anywhere you feel safe and comfortable. It’s an alternative to the Pap test for regular cervix screening.
Pregnancy
BCAAFC Doulas for Aboriginal Families Grant Program: aims to increase healthy birth outcomes for Indigenous families by removing the cost barrier to accessing doula services. Funding for prenatal, birth and/or postpartum doula support. (non-medical birth support person) is available for Indigenous parents and families residing in BC
Abortion
Women’s Vita Medical Clinic offers abortion services to women in Nanaimo.
Planned Parenthood Fact Sheet about Abortion
BC Government information about abortion and how to access it
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