A 44-year-old Indian-origin man died of a suspected cardiac arrest in Canada after waiting more than eight hours for medical attention at a hospital emergency department, raising serious concerns about emergency healthcare response times in the country.
Prashant Sreekumar collapsed and died on December 22 at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, after repeatedly complaining of severe chest pain. His family says he did not receive timely treatment despite clearly expressing the intensity of his symptoms.
Sudden Chest Pain at Work
According to family members, Sreekumar began experiencing intense chest pain while at work earlier that day. Alarmed by his condition, a client drove him to Grey Nuns Community Hospital in southeast Edmonton.
Hospital staff registered him at the triage desk and asked him to wait in the emergency room waiting area. His father, Kumar Sreekumar, arrived at the hospital shortly afterward.
“He told me, ‘Papa, I cannot bear the pain,’” Kumar Sreekumar told Global News. “He said the pain was a 15 out of 10.”
Long Wait Despite Severe Symptoms
Despite repeatedly reporting extreme chest pain, Sreekumar remained in the waiting room for more than eight hours, according to his family. During this time, hospital staff performed an electrocardiogram (ECG) to assess his heart function.
Doctors reportedly told the family that the ECG showed nothing significant. They advised continued waiting.
As the hours passed, Sreekumar’s condition worsened. Hospital staff offered him Tylenol for pain relief. However, his father said his blood pressure continued to rise steadily.
“It kept going up,” Kumar Sreekumar said. “To me, it was through the roof.”
The family says no further diagnostic tests or immediate interventions followed, even as Sreekumar continued to complain of escalating pain.
Collapse Moments After Being Called In
After waiting more than eight hours, hospital staff finally called Sreekumar into the treatment area. His father said the moment was tragically brief.
“After sitting maybe 10 seconds, he looked at me, stood up, held his chest, and just collapsed,” Kumar Sreekumar recalled.
Nurses and medical staff rushed to assist him and attempted resuscitation. Despite their efforts, doctors could not revive him.
Sreekumar died of an apparent cardiac arrest.
Family Left Devastated
Prashant Sreekumar leaves behind his wife and three children, aged three, 10, and 14. His sudden death has devastated the family, who say they trusted the healthcare system to act quickly when someone presents with classic heart-attack symptoms.
“He kept saying he was in pain,” his father said. “We kept waiting, believing they would take him in.”
The family has since questioned whether earlier intervention could have saved his life.
Hospital Responds, Case Under Review
Grey Nuns Community Hospital operates under Covenant Health, a major healthcare network in Alberta. In a statement to Global News, Covenant Health declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing patient privacy.
However, the organisation confirmed that the death is under review by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
“We offer our sympathy to the patient’s family and friends,” the statement said. “There is nothing more important than the safety and care of our patients and staff.”
Broader Concerns Over Emergency Care Delays
The incident has sparked renewed debate about emergency room wait times in Canada, particularly amid staffing shortages, high patient volumes, and strained healthcare systems.
Health experts have repeatedly warned that chest pain is a high-risk symptom that requires immediate assessment, especially when patients describe it as severe and persistent.
For immigrant families and communities, the case has also raised concerns about communication gaps, triage prioritisation, and whether patients’ pain reports are being taken seriously.
Calls for Accountability
While investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding Sreekumar’s death, his family says their focus remains on ensuring accountability and preventing similar tragedies.
“No family should have to hear their loved one say they are in unbearable pain and then watch them die after waiting for help,” his father said.
As the review process continues, the case stands as a stark reminder of the consequences of delayed emergency care and the urgent need for systems that respond swiftly when lives are clearly at risk.
