- Prashant Sreekumar died after an eight-hour wait at Grey Nuns Community Hospital
- His wife blamed hospital staff for not providing timely medical assistance
- He complained of chest pain and had high blood pressure during the wait
Days after Prashant Sreekumar, a 44-year-old Indian-origin man, died of suspected cardiac arrest while waiting for treatment at Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Canada's Edmonton, a video of his wife has gone viral on social media, where she's seen recounting the ordeal faced by her husband and family during the eight-hour-long wait. In the clip, Niharika Sreekumar, standing in front of her husband's body, blamed the hospital administration for his death.
She recounted that Prashant Sreekumar complained of acute chest pain at 12 o'clock noon on Monday, December 22nd, and he was brought to Grey Nuns Community Hospital by 12.20 pm.
"He was sitting in the triage from 12.20 onwards till about 8.50 at night. He was sitting in the triage complaining of constant chest pain. His BP (blood pressure) kept on constantly rising, with the last recorded blood pressure of 210," she said.
For healthy adults, a normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg, meaning systolic (top number) under 120 and diastolic (bottom number) under 80.
ALSO READ: "Papa, I'm In Pain": Indian Man Dies After 8-Hour Wait At Canada Hospital
Niharika Sreekumar said her husband was only prescribed Tylenol during the entire waiting time that he was outside, and he was not given help.
Photo Credit: Nikki Sreekumar At Facebook
"They said that chest pain is not considered an acute problem. They do not suspect a cardiac arrest," the grieving widow claimed.
After over eight hours of waiting, Prashant Sreekumar was finally taken to the emergency room for treatment.
"He was asked to sit down. He got up for a fraction of a second, and he collapsed. He fainted, and the nurse was heard saying that I do not feel a pulse," Niharika Sreekumar said as she blamed the hospital for her husband's death.
Nurses called for help and tried to resuscitate him, but it was too late. Prashant Sreekumar died of an apparent cardiac arrest, leaving behind his wife and three children, ages three, 10 and 14.
"Basically, the hospital administration and the employees of Grey Nuns Community Hospital have killed my husband, Prashant Srikumar, by not providing him with timely medical help. And the security was so rude that instead of addressing the cause, they said, "Ma'am, you are being very rude"," she added.
Earlier, Prashant Sreekumar's father, Kumar Sreekumar, told The Global News that his son told the hospital staff that his pain was a 15 out of 10.
After that, hospital staff did an electrocardiogram (ECG) on him to check his heart's function but told the patient and his family that there was nothing of significance, and they were kept waiting.
"He told me, 'Papa, I cannot bear the pain,'" Kumar Sreekumar told the publication.
The Grey Nuns Hospital is operated by the Covenant Health healthcare network. In a statement to Global News, the organisation declined to comment on specific patient care details but confirmed the case was 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 statement read.
