A 44-year-old Indian-origin man died on Monday after reportedly waiting for more than 8 hours in the emergency room of a hospital in Edmonton, Canada, despite repeatedly complaining of acute chest pain.
According to a report by Global News, the incident took place at Grey Nuns Community Hospital. Prashant Sreekumar, an accountant and father of 3, began experiencing sharp chest pain while at work and was taken to the hospital by a client. After being triaged, he was asked to wait in the emergency room. However, hours later, he reportedly collapsed and died in the treatment area.
A video circulating on social media shows Sreekumar’s wife narrating the hours-long ordeal, claiming that his blood pressure had risen to 210 even as he sat in the waiting room and that he was only offered Tylenol despite complaining of “unbearable” pain.
HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
{{/usCountry}}HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
{{/usCountry}}(Also Read: Indian-origin man in Canada questions western dream, plans return to India for simpler life)
‘Papa, I cannot bear the pain’
According to Global News, Sreekumar’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.
The family said an ECG was done, but they were allegedly told that nothing significant was detected and that he should continue waiting. As the hours passed, nurses reportedly checked his blood pressure periodically, which the family said “kept going up.” 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. His family is devastated and wants answers about how a patient with severe chest pain could wait so long without seeing a doctor. Family friend Varinder Bhullar said the loss was “huge” and called the incident shocking and unacceptable. “We expect better from the hospital and the health-care system,” he said.
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What did the hospital say?
Notably, Grey Nuns Community Hospital is operated by Covenant Health. The organisation told Global News that it could not comment on specifics of the case due to privacy reasons, but confirmed that the matter has been referred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
It also extended condolences to the family. “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 said.