An Indian-origin man died after waiting for more than eight hours for treatment at an emergency department in southeast Edmonton, prompting serious questions about triage procedures and patient care.
Prashant Sreekumar, 44, developed intense chest pain while at work on December 22 and was taken by a client to Grey Nuns Hospital, Global News reported. He was registered at triage and asked to wait. His father, Kumar Sreekumar, reached the hospital shortly after.
“He kept telling me, ‘Papa, I can’t bear the pain,’” Kumar said, adding that his son described the pain as “15 out of 10”. An electrocardiogram was conducted, but the family said Prashant was told nothing alarming was found and was asked to continue waiting. He was later offered Tylenol.
According to the family, nurses periodically checked his blood pressure as the hours passed. Kumar said the readings continued to rise. After waiting for more than eight hours, Prashant was finally taken into the treatment area.
“After sitting there for barely a few seconds, he looked at me, stood up, held his chest and collapsed,” Kumar said. Staff called for assistance, but Prashant died of what was described as a cardiac arrest.
Prashant is survived by his wife and three children, aged three, 10 and 14. Family members described him as a devoted father who was deeply involved in his children’s lives.
Friends and relatives have raised concerns over how a patient reporting severe chest pain was made to wait for several hours in an emergency department. Family friend Varinder Bhullar, who had known Prashant professionally, described his death as “a huge loss to the community”. “We expect better from the hospital and the health-care system,” he said.
Grey Nuns Hospital is operated by Covenant Health, which said it could not comment on individual cases due to patient privacy laws. The organisation confirmed the matter is being reviewed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the patient’s family and friends. Patient safety and care remain our highest priorities,” it said in a statement.
As the family continues to grieve, Kumar said the circumstances surrounding his son’s death remain deeply painful. “They took my child for nothing,” he said.