The Alberta authorities has ordered a overview after a 44-year-old man died whereas ready to see a physician within the emergency division at an Edmonton hospital earlier this week.
Well being Minister Matt Jones stated in a social media publish that he has directed Acute Care Alberta and Covenant Well being to collectively overview the circumstances surrounding the dying of Prashanth Sreekumar at Gray Nuns Group Hospital on Monday.
Sreekumar, an accountant and father of three, had gone to the emergency division after experiencing chest ache.
A household pal says he waited almost eight hours earlier than struggling an obvious cardiac arrest.
“It was utterly avoidable. That’s the unhappy half,” stated Varinder Bhuller, an in depth household pal, in a cellphone interview. “Typically we predict it’s God’s will, however this time I feel people may have intervened sufficient to avoid wasting him.”
Bhuller stated Sreekumar was at his workplace when the ache started and was pushed to the hospital by a consumer. Preliminary assessments didn’t present something irregular, however his blood stress continued to rise, Bhuller stated.
Premier Danielle Smith additionally prolonged condolences to the household in a social media publish, saying there will probably be a “full overview of this matter.”
Acute Care Alberta, the province’s new well being authority, confirmed it’s going to participate within the overview and implement any suggestions.
The Workplace of the Chief Medical Examiner has additionally launched an unbiased investigation.
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In a joint assertion, Alberta NDP well being critic Sarah Hoffman and Edmonton-Meadows MLA Jasvir Deol referred to as the dying a “horrible tragedy” and renewed requires higher hospital staffing and elevated funding in public well being care.
“Albertans deserve well timed, applicable care after they search assist in emergency rooms,” the assertion stated.
Based on his spouse, Niharika Sreekumar, her husband was in extreme ache for hours whereas ready within the emergency division.
In an interview with World Information, Sreekumar defined that preliminary assessments didn’t present something irregular, however his blood stress continued to rise.
“You might be begging in your life proper there,” she stated. “And also you’re begging it from any person who has the facility. It was the ugliest feeling of my lifetime.”
She stated she was at house with their youngsters when she discovered her husband had gone to the hospital.
“We had been texting one another, what’s happening,” she stated. “They stated the ECG had come again and he was ready on blood work.”
Later, she stated, she obtained a cellphone name from her husband whereas he was nonetheless within the ready space.
“He referred to as me along with his voice trembling, not having the ability to converse,” she stated. “He stated, ‘It’s hurting me so much.’”
She rushed to the hospital with considered one of their youngsters and located her husband nonetheless ready.
“He was in a lot ache,” she stated. “We saved going up there and saying, ‘He has chest ache. One thing is incorrect.’”
Sreekumar’s spouse stated her husband was wholesome and lively, usually enjoying cricket, and had no warning indicators earlier than the incident.
“He was very wholesome. He was exercising. He was maintaining a healthy diet meals,” she stated. “It simply doesn’t make sense.”
She additionally pushed again towards on-line hypothesis following his dying.
“Prashanth was a Canadian citizen,” she stated. “Twenty-five years on this nation. He liked Canada.”
Bhuller stated Sreekumar was the household’s sole revenue earner whereas his spouse stayed house to take care of considered one of their youngsters with particular wants.
A GoFundMe fundraiser arrange by a scholar of Sreekumar, has already raised 1000’s of {dollars} to help the household.
Within the fundraiser, the household has referred to as for a clear investigation and accountability.
Elon Musk additionally took to social media sharing his ideas on Canada’s health-care system after seeing a video relating to the incident involving the daddy.
“When the federal government does medical care, it’s about nearly as good because the DMV,” Musk wrote on X as he reshared a video that confirmed the person’s spouse recapping her husband’s dying.
“We don’t know what the subsequent step will probably be,” Bhuller stated. “Proper now, there’s quite a lot of grief, disbelief and frustration.”
– With information from World Information’ Sarah Komadina and The Canadian Press
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