No OHIP or Family Doctor? Ottawa Clinic Accepts Pregnant Patients for Midwifery Care

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published August 18, 2026

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The South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre is allowing pregnant and postpartum Ottawa residents to contact its Preventative Care & Wellness Clinic – Midwifery Services directly for pregnancy and postpartum care. The service specifically welcomes people who do not have a primary-care provider, and lack of OHIP coverage does not prevent patients from receiving midwifery care.

The service may be particularly useful for patients struggling to find a doctor or midwife. The clinic provides short-term prenatal care while helping patients connect with a midwifery practice or obstetrician who can become their main care provider for pregnancy and birth. Patients may continue receiving care at the clinic while waiting for that referral to be accepted.

Eligibility includes pregnant and postpartum people living in Ottawa, particularly those without a primary-care provider or those facing barriers to accessing midwifery and perinatal services. The clinic’s official page also states explicitly that people without OHIP are welcome.

Services include support for pregnancy-related concerns, routine pregnancy care and postpartum needs, as well as help navigating the health-care system and connecting with appropriate resources. The clinic’s information also identifies support related to early pregnancy loss, perinatal mood screening and newborn care.

For patients without health coverage, the centre notes that Ontario midwives are funded to care for people without OHIP or IFH, making the midwifery visit free. In some cases, the clinic may also be able to help cover prescriptions, laboratory tests and ultrasound costs for uninsured patients, although hospital costs are not covered.

The clinic is located at 1355 Bank Street, 6th floor, Ottawa. Its current website lists midwifery hours as Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Appointments can be requested by calling 613-212-9667, emailing [email protected], or faxing 1-833-664-8803.

Patients may want to confirm Wednesday hours before visiting because the circulated clinic flyer lists a noon start, while the centre’s current webpage lists 1 p.m.

The clinic is not intended to replace emergency care. The centre advises patients with urgent concerns before 20 weeks of pregnancy to go to the nearest emergency department, while those at 20 weeks or later should go directly to the birthing unit at the nearest hospital. Urgent postpartum or newborn concerns should also be assessed through emergency services.