An Indian-origin father of three has died following a prolonged wait inside a busy emergency department in Edmonton, triggering renewed scrutiny over hospital response times and patient triage in Canada.
Prashant Sreekumar, 44, collapsed and died from a suspected cardiac arrest on December 22 after spending more than eight hours in the emergency waiting area at Grey Nuns Community Hospital. Family members say repeated pleas for urgent care went unanswered as severe chest pain worsened hour by hour.
Sreekumar began experiencing intense chest pain while at work. A client drove him to Grey Nuns Community Hospital in southeast Edmonton, where hospital staff registered him at triage and directed him to the waiting room. According to relatives, no immediate treatment followed.
Kumar Sreekumar, the victim’s father, arrived shortly after admission. He recalled his son describing unbearable pain. “He told me, ‘Papa, I cannot bear the pain,’” he said in an interview with Global News.
The elder Sreekumar told staff his son rated the pain at 15 out of 10. Hospital staff later performed an electrocardiogram to assess heart activity. Family members said clinicians reported no concerning findings and asked the patient to continue waiting.
As the wait stretched on, staff provided Tylenol for pain relief. Family members observed blood pressure readings climbing steadily during the long delay. “It went up, up, and up. To me, the numbers looked dangerous,” Kumar Sreekumar told Global News.
After more than eight hours, staff finally escorted Prashant Sreekumar into a treatment area. Moments later, tragedy struck. “After sitting maybe 10 seconds, he looked at me, stood up, held his chest, and collapsed,” his father said.
Nurses rushed to assist and attempted resuscitation. Efforts failed. Prashant Sreekumar died inside the emergency department, leaving behind a wife and three children aged three, 10, and 14.
Grey Nuns Community Hospital operates under the Covenant Health network. In a written response to Global News, Covenant Health declined to discuss specific aspects of patient care. The organization confirmed a formal review by 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 statement said.
The death has intensified public concern surrounding emergency room wait times in Canadian hospitals, particularly during critical cardiac events where minutes shape survival.
