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After Indian-origin man's death, Canadian in India warns those planning Canada move: 'Many aspects dysfunctional'
Caleb Friesen, who has been living in India for the past 8 years, has reacted to the death of India-origin man after a long ER wait.
A Canadian content creator living in India has reacted to the recent death of Prashant Sreekumar, an Indian-origin man who reportedly died after waiting more than 8 hours in the emergency room of a hospital in Edmonton, Canada.
In a video shared on Instagram, Caleb Friesen, who has been living in India for the past 8 years, urged Indians considering a move abroad to be aware of the realities of Canada’s public healthcare system. In his video, Friesen referred to news reports about Prashant, a 44-year-old accountant, who began experiencing acute chest pain at work and was taken to Grey Nuns Community Hospital. After triage, he was allegedly asked to wait in the ER despite repeated complaints of severe pain. He reportedly collapsed hours later and died in the treatment area.
Friesen warned that long wait times like these are not isolated occurrences. “Many Indians still have an incorrect perception of Canada,” he said, adding that pictures of clean cities and natural landscapes often obscure day-to-day systemic challenges. “Below the surface, there are many aspects of Canada that are severely dysfunctional. One such aspect is Canada’s health care system.”
(Also read: ‘They killed my husband’: Wife alleges negligence after Indian-origin man dies after 8-hour wait at Canada hospital)
Citing a report from Canadian public broadcaster CBC, he noted that emergency room waits in several provinces stretch from 5 to more than 13 hours. Burnout among medical staff, doctor shortages and boarded patients were highlighted as key contributors.
Friesen also shared his own experience in India, recalling how he was initially turned away at a Bengaluru hospital despite intense abdominal pain, which later turned out to be appendicitis requiring surgery. He stressed that his criticism was not about ranking India versus Canada, but about realism.
“I'm not necessarily saying that Canada is better or worse when it comes to health care. India definitely has its issues as well,” he said. “But what I am saying is that if you're Indian and you're thinking about moving to Canada, you should be aware that Canada's health care system is actually in crisis right now, and it has been for many years,” he added.
Friesen said that many Indians only learn about these challenges after becoming NRIs or taking up Canadian citizenship. “By then,” he wrote in his caption, “it’s too late to turn back.”
(Also Read: ‘Could have stayed in Mumbai’: Row over US influencer mocking death of Indian man in Canada)
Prashant Sreekumar’s death in Canada
As per an earlier HT report, Prashant Sreekumar died in Canada's Edmonton after being left unattended at a hospital for over 8 hours. Prashant’s father, Kumar Sreekumar, said that his son repeatedly told him and hospital staff that he was in excruciating pain. “He told me, ‘Papa, I cannot bear the pain,’” Kumar said.
He added his son had told him and the hospital staff the pain he was experiencing was 15 out of 10. He further said that nurses were taking his son's blood pressure readings from time to time.
But more than 8 hours later, when Prashant was finally called into the treatment area, he is said to have collapsed within seconds, suffering an apparent cardiac arrest. Prashant is survived by his wife and 3 children aged three, 10 and 14.
