28.6 weeks. That is the median wait from GP referral to treatment in Canada. For orthopaedic surgery, it is 48.6 weeks — nearly a year. You do not have to keep waiting. Colombia offers the same procedures, performed by board-certified surgeons, in weeks instead of months.
Data from the Fraser Institute's Waiting Your Turn report. These are median waits from GP referral to treatment — the full wait a patient actually experiences.
| Province | Median Wait (Weeks) | Orthopaedic Wait | Colombia Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick | 60.9 weeks | 60+ weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| Prince Edward Island | 49.7 weeks | 50+ weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| Nova Scotia | 49.0 weeks | 49+ weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| Saskatchewan | 35.0 weeks | 40+ weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| Québec | 32.5 weeks | 40+ weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| British Columbia | 32.2 weeks | 38+ weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| Alberta | 27.0 weeks | 35+ weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| Ontario | 19.2 weeks | 30+ weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| National Median | 28.6 weeks | 48.6 weeks | 2–4 weeks |
Source: Fraser Institute, Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2025 Report. CIHI Wait Times for Priority Procedures, 2025. National median of 28.6 weeks is 208% longer than the 9.3-week wait in 1993.
According to the Fraser Institute, more than 100,000 Canadians sought non-emergency medical treatment abroad last year. The reasons range from dangerous wait times to lack of available procedures and equipment. Many are paying twice for healthcare: once through taxes, then again out of pocket abroad.
The most common procedures sought abroad include general surgery, urology, internal medicine, ophthalmology, and orthopaedic surgery — all of which are available in Colombia at 50–80% less than US or Canadian private rates.
Ask Us About Your ProcedureOntario's Out-of-Country program reimburses only a token amount for emergency services — and nothing for planned procedures. Other provinces are similar.
However, even with zero provincial reimbursement, the savings in Colombia are so large that most patients pay less out of pocket than they would for the same procedure privately in Canada.
Ranked #1 in the Western Hemisphere and #22 globally by the World Health Organization (2000 Report). Direct flights from Toronto and Montréal. No visa required.
Air Canada and Avianca operate 3 daily nonstop flights from Toronto to Bogotá (6h 15min). Air Transat flies Toronto → Cartagena → Medellín year-round (launched Nov 2025). Montréal route launching summer 2026.
Colombia operates on EST (UTC-5) — the same timezone as Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal. No jet lag. Pre-op and post-op telehealth calls at convenient hours for both you and your Colombian surgeon.
Canadian passport holders receive a 90-day tourist visa on arrival. More than enough time for any procedure plus full recovery. Extend to 180 days through a simple Migración Colombia process.
Colombian procedures are priced in COP (Colombian pesos). The exchange rate means your Canadian dollars stretch dramatically. A dental implant that costs CAD $4,000–$8,000 at home is CAD $1,200–$2,000 in Colombia.
Colombia has 6+ JCI-accredited hospitals and 61+ nationally accredited facilities. Surgeons trained at top US and European programs. WHO-ranked #1 in the Western Hemisphere for healthcare quality.
We are based in Medellín. That means real, in-person coordination — airport pickup, clinic appointments, recovery house placement, and a direct WhatsApp line for anything you need.
More than 40,000 passengers traveled between Toronto and Medellín in 2024 alone. Here are the main routes.
The procedures with the longest Canadian wait times are exactly the ones where Colombia excels.