A 44-year-old Indian-origin man died of a suspected cardiac arrest after waiting for more than eight hours without receiving adequate treatment at a hospital in Canada, raising serious questions about emergency healthcare response times in the country.
Prashant Sreekumar, a father of three, complained of severe chest pain while at work on December 22 and was rushed to the Grey Nuns Community Hospital in southeast Edmonton by a client, according to a report by Global News. He was checked in at triage on arrival and then asked to sit in the emergency room waiting area.
Sreekumar’s father, Kumar Sreekumar, soon reached the hospital. “He told me, ‘Papa, I cannot bear the pain,’” Kumar Sreekumar told the publication.
According to the family, Prashant repeatedly informed hospital staff that his pain was “15 out of 10”. An electrocardiogram (ECG) was conducted, but the staff told the family that there was nothing of significance. He was given Tylenol for the pain and asked to continue waiting.
During the long wait, nurses periodically checked his blood pressure. “It went up, up, and up. To me, it was through the roof,” his father said. In a video shared on social media, Prashant’s wife alleged that his blood pressure had risen to 210, yet he was only given Tylenol.
After waiting for more than eight hours, Prashant was finally called into the emergency treatment area. “After sitting maybe 10 seconds, he looked at me, he got up and put his hand on his chest and just crashed,” Kumar Sreekumar said.
Nurses immediately called for help and attempted to resuscitate him, but it was too late. Prashant Sreekumar died of an apparent cardiac arrest.
He is survived by his wife and three children, aged three, 10 and 14.
The Grey Nuns Community Hospital is operated by the Covenant Health healthcare network. In a statement to Global News, the organisation said it could not comment on the specifics of patient care due to privacy concerns.
“We offer our sympathy to the patient’s family and friends. There is nothing more important than the safety and care of our patients and staff,” the statement read, adding that the case is under review by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.