‘Papa, I can’t bear the pain’: Indian man dies after 8-hour hospital wait in Canada

A 44-year-old Indian-origin man, Prashant Sreekumar, died of suspected cardiac arrest after reportedly waiting more than eight hours in the emergency room at Grey Nuns Hospital in southeast Edmonton, Canada, media reports said.

Sreekumar began experiencing severe chest pain while at work on December 22, and a client drove him to the hospital. He was registered at triage and then asked to wait in the emergency room.

Family describes desperate hours

His father, Kumar Sreekumar, arrived at the hospital shortly after. “My son told me, ‘Papa, I cannot bear the pain,’” Kumar said, according to Global News.

The family said hospital staff performed an electrocardiogram (ECG) but reported “nothing of significance,” leaving Sreekumar in the waiting area. Only some Tylenol was offered for pain relief, while his blood pressure continued rising.

“It went up, up, and up. To me, it was through the roof,” his father said.

Tragic cardiac arrest

After waiting more than eight hours, Sreekumar was finally called into the treatment area. His father recalled: “After sitting maybe 10 seconds, he looked at me, he got up and put his hand on his chest and just crashed.”

Nurses tried to resuscitate him, but Sreekumar died of an apparent cardiac arrest. He leaves behind his wife and three children, aged three, 10, and 14.

Hospital response

According to reports, Grey Nuns Hospital, operated by the Covenant Health network, confirmed that the case is under 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 organisation said in a statement.