Indian-Origin Father Waits Over Eight Hours Before Succumbing to Cardiac Arrest in Canada
An Indian-origin man in Canada tragically passed away from a suspected cardiac arrest after enduring more than eight hours in a hospital emergency waiting room without receiving medical attention from a doctor, according to a recent report.
Prashant Sreekumar, aged 44, began suffering intense chest pain while at work on December 22. A client transported him to Grey Nuns Community Hospital in southeast Edmonton, where he was triaged and directed to the waiting area.
His father, Kumar Sreekumar, soon joined him. The younger Sreekumar described his pain level as a 15 out of 10 to both his father and hospital staff, pleading that he could not tolerate it.
Medical personnel performed an electrocardiogram (ECG), but informed him that it revealed nothing significant. He was provided with Tylenol and instructed to continue waiting. Nurses periodically monitored his blood pressure, which Kumar noted was rising alarmingly high.
After more than eight hours, Sreekumar was finally called to the treatment area. Moments after entering and sitting down, he clutched his chest, stood briefly, and collapsed. Despite immediate efforts by staff, he was pronounced dead from an apparent cardiac arrest.
Sreekumar is survived by his wife and three children, aged 3, 10, and 14. Family members remembered him as a devoted father who was playful with his kids and deeply committed to his loved ones. Friends described him as an exceptionally kind person who was highly regarded in the community.
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The family and friends are demanding explanations for how someone reporting severe chest pain could wait so long without seeing a physician. Family friend Varinder Bhullar, a client of Sreekumar’s accounting services, expressed devastation and called for improvements in the healthcare system.
Grey Nuns Hospital, operated by Covenant Health, declined to discuss specifics due to patient privacy concerns but extended condolences to the family. The organization emphasized patient safety as its top priority and noted that the case is under review by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
As reported by Global News and PTI, the incident has left loved ones grieving not only the loss but also the circumstances of his final hours in agony inside the hospital.