Alberta orders review after man dies waiting in Edmonton emergency department

The Alberta government has ordered a review after a 44-year-old man died while waiting in an emergency department in Edmonton earlier this week.

Prashanth Sreekumar’s Death Prompts Review of Alberta Emergency Care

Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Matt Jones has directed Acute Care Alberta and Covenant Health to jointly review the circumstances surrounding the death of Prashanth Sreekumar at Grey Nuns Community Hospital last Monday.

Sreekumar, who was experiencing chest pain, reportedly waited nearly eight hours to see a doctor at the ER before his death. His wife, Niharika Sreekumar, told CBC News that her husband began experiencing chest pain at his office, and a client transported him to the hospital.

Niharika Sreekumar said they spent almost the entire wait in the waiting area while her husband complained of chest pain. “The one time in his entire lifetime in Canada he needed that system, that treatment, that medical care, he was denied,” she stated.

She believes her husband’s death was preventable and that he was not properly triaged, adding, “I want justice for Prashanth.”

Family friend Varindar Bhullar said initial checkups showed nothing abnormal, but Sreekumar’s blood pressure continued to climb. He died shortly after triage from an alleged cardiac arrest. “It was completely avoidable. That’s the sad part,” Bhullar said.

Bhullar described Sreekumar as a loving father and active individual who enjoyed playing cricket.

Acute Care Alberta stated it will participate in the review and implement any recommendations. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has also launched an independent investigation.

Covenant Health said it is unable to provide comment on specifics regarding a patient’s care due to privacy reasons. CBC News has no information regarding the emergency department’s occupancy level on the day of the incident.

A fundraiser has been established by a family friend to support Sreekumar’s family, which includes his wife and three children aged three, 10, and 14. Sreekumar was the family’s sole provider, as his wife cares for one of their children with special needs.

Niharika Sreekumar said her husband was a “superhero father” and that his children are deeply affected by his loss. “They’re missing him,” she said. “He provided for them, everything they wanted. He had great plans.”