Indian-origin man dies in Canada hospital after 8-hour wait for treatment despite severe chest pain

A 44-year-old Indian-origin man in Edmonton tragically died from suspected cardiac arrest after complaining of severe chest pain and waiting for more than eight hours for treatment at a local hospital.

Prashant Sreekumar, a father of three, had informed his father, Kumar Sreekumar, about the excruciating pain he was experiencing, telling him it was a "15 of 10" on the pain scale. Despite his urgent complaint, he was given only Tylenol and an ECG, after which he was told that nothing significant was wrong.

The incident took place on December 22, when Prashant felt sudden chest pain while at work. His client was immediately taken to the Grey Nuns Hospital in southeast Edmonton, where he was triaged and then asked to wait in the emergency room.

Kumar Sreekumar arrived at the hospital shortly after and was alarmed by his son’s deteriorating condition. He recalled, “Papa, I cannot bear the pain,” as his son struggled while waiting for medical attention. Despite his distress, Prashant was told to wait longer as nurses periodically checked his blood pressure, which continued to rise. “It went up, up, and up. To me, it was through the roof,” Kumar said.

After eight long hours of waiting, Prashant was finally called into the emergency room. Tragically, just 10 seconds after sitting down, he collapsed, clutching his chest. “After sitting maybe 10 seconds, he looked at me, he got up and put his hand on his chest and just crashed,” his father recalled.

Nurses immediately called for help, but it was too late. Prashant died in front of his father, leaving behind his wife and three children, aged three, 10, and 14.

The hospital, in a statement to Global News, expressed condolences to the family but declined to comment on the specifics of the care provided due to privacy concerns. The hospital’s spokesperson said, "There is nothing more important than the safety and care of our patients and staff.”

A video has surfaced on social media in which Prashant's wife recounts the harrowing ordeal. She mentioned that his blood pressure had skyrocketed to 210, but he was only treated with Tylenol. 

Business Today couldn't verify the claims made in the video independently.