Health Card Number

[Suzie_Homemaker]

This seem to vary by province which make sense since child care regulations are provincially set. The information and rules vary so much base on where you located.

I am expected to have health card number in PEI. But here, that linked to next of kin, home address, family doctor and also we in middle of computerizing all medical records so eventually it also be linked to medical history, patient allergies and vital key information about what medications are currently being taken. Idea is that anyone arriving in hospital which could be the case with a child if accident in daycare, then doctors not depending on family arriving to give key information presuming they know it.

Personally, my view is it's better to have it and find out the health number is useless without the card, then it would be to need it and not have the information. I make sure I have the health card number but also the name and contact information for the family doctor. I don't think medical attention will be denied either way but at least if you have to escort child in an emergency, having the family doctor name and health card number means the hospital has methods for finding information until parents arrive.