A 44-year-old Indian-origin man has died of suspected cardiac arrest after waiting for more than eight hours in the emergency room of a Canadian hospital, according to a media report.
Prashant Sreekumar began experiencing severe chest pains while at work on December 22 and was driven by a client to Grey Nuns Hospital in southeast Edmonton, Global News reported. He was checked in at triage and asked to wait. His father, Kumar Sreekumar, who later joined him, recalled his son saying, "Papa, I cannot bear the pain."
Despite reporting pain "15 out of 10," Prashant was told his electrocardiogram showed nothing significant and was offered Tylenol. His blood pressure kept rising, family members said, but he remained in the waiting area for hours. More than eight hours later, he was called into the treatment area, where he collapsed and died of an apparent cardiac arrest.
Responding to a query on the incident, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi that Prashant was a Canadian citizen. "The person is of Indian origin, but he happens to be, I understand, a Canadian national. So the Canadian government should take responsibility for the matter," he said.
Prashant leaves behind his wife and three children, aged three, 10 and 14. His family described him as a devoted father and "goofball" with his kids. Friends and relatives have demanded answers on how a man with severe chest pain could be left untreated for so long.
A video circulating on social media shows his wife narrating the ordeal, claiming his blood pressure had risen to 210 while he sat in the waiting room and that he was only offered Tylenol despite "unbearable" pain.
Family friend Varinder Bhullar said the community is devastated. "We expect better from the hospital and health-care system," he said.
Grey Nuns Hospital, run by Covenant Health, said in a statement that it would not comment on specifics due to privacy, but confirmed the case is before the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. "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 organisation said.
Prashant's father said the family will always be haunted by the way he died in pain without ever seeing a doctor. "They took my baby for nothing. For nothing," he said.
(From PTI Inputs)
Read more news like this on www.etnownews.com