Alberta man dies in ER after he was refused treatment for 8 hours

The Alberta government has ordered a review after a 44-year-old man died while waiting hours to see a doctor in the emergency room at an Edmonton hospital. According to Global News, a family friend said Sreekumar waited nearly eight hours before suffering a heart attack.

“It was completely avoidable. That’s the sad part,” the family friend told the outlet. “Sometimes we think it’s God’s will, but this time I think humans could have intervened enough to save him.”

The family friend said initial assessments indicated nothing abnormal, but Sreekumar’s blood pressure continued to rise. His wife, who was home with their children, said he was in severe pain for hours while waiting to be seen.

In a post on social media, Health Minister Matt Jones said he directed Acute Care Alberta and Covenant Health to review the circumstances surrounding the death of Prashanth Sreekumar at Grey Nuns Community Hospital. Sreekumar, a father of three, went to the emergency room after experiencing chest pain at his office, where he worked as an accountant, and was driven to the hospital by a client.

Premier Danielle Smith posted condolences to the family on social media and said a “complete review of this matter” would be conducted. Acute Care Alberta said it would participate in the review and implement any recommendations that result from it. An independent investigation has also been launched by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Alberta NDP health critic Sarah Hoffman and Edmonton-Meadows MLA Jasvir Deol issued a joint statement calling the death a “terrible tragedy.”

“Albertans deserve timely, appropriate care when they seek help in emergency rooms,” they stated.