Prashant Sreekumar, a 44-year-old man of Indian origin, died on December 22 at Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton after waiting over eight hours for medical intervention. Despite arriving with severe chest pain—a classic symptom of cardiac distress—he remained in the triage waiting area until his body finally gave out.
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The ordeal began when Sreekumar complained of intense chest pain while at work. A client drove him to the hospital, where he checked in at approximately 12:20 PM.
- Triage Assessment: Hospital staff conducted an initial ECG and administered Tylenol. Despite his reported agony, he was told his condition was not “acute” and was sent back to the waiting room.
- Worsening Condition: As the hours passed, his family noted his blood pressure spiked to a dangerous high of 210.
- The Final Moments: At approximately 8:50 PM, Sreekumar was finally called into the emergency room. According to his father, Kumar Sreekumar, Prashant stood up, clutched his chest, and collapsed. He died just 10 seconds after entering the treatment area.
“Papa, I cannot bear the pain,” Prashant reportedly told his father shortly before he crashed.
Critical Failures and Public Outcry
The incident has sparked a national conversation about the reliability of the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), which is designed to prioritize patients based on the severity of their illness.
Points of Concern:
- Misclassification: Chest pain is typically categorized as a Level 2 (Emergent) priority, requiring a physician’s assessment within 15 minutes. In this case, it was allegedly treated as non-urgent.
- Monitoring Gaps: Despite a hypertensive crisis (BP of 210), there was no immediate escalation of care.
- Systemic Strain: The incident highlights the “ER bottleneck” occurring across Canada, where staffing shortages and a lack of available beds lead to dangerous delays in the waiting room.
Official Response
Covenant Health, the organization that operates Grey Nuns Hospital, released a statement expressing condolences but declined to discuss specifics due to privacy laws.
- Investigation: The case has been referred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for a formal review.
- Quality Review: Internal “Quality Assurance” reviews are expected to determine if protocol was followed or if medical negligence occurred.
The Sreekumar family continues to demand accountability, hoping that sharing Prashant’s story will prevent other families from enduring a similar tragedy.
