Indian-origin man died in Canada awaits treatment, wife accused hospital
By Anjali Sharma
NEW YORK – According to media reports on Friday Niharika Sreekumar, the wife of Indian-origin man Prashant Sreekumar, who died earlier at a Canadian hospital has blamed the administration for the death of her husband.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, Niharika could be seen standing near her husband’s body and blamed the hospital administration for his death.
Niharika Sreekumar in a video said that her husband Prashant Sreekumar first complained of acute chest pain at 12 noon on Monday (December 22) and he was rushed to the Grey Nuns Community Hospital by 12.20 pm.
He was made to sit in the triage from 12.20 onwards till about 8.50 at night.
Prashant, 44, passed away after suffering suspected cardiac arrest.
He died waiting for treatment at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton, Canada, according to his wife.
Niharika has alleged that her husband was made to wait for more than eight hours before his treatment was started. During this entire eight-hour period, he was suffering from chest pain.
She said “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,”.
Niharika said the hospital authorities did not do anything other than prescribe him just Tylenol.
“They said that chest pain is not considered an acute problem. They do not suspect a cardiac arrest,” the wife alleged.
According to Niharika, the hospital staff finally took Prashant to the emergency room for treatment after making him wait for more than eight hours.
“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 said.
The nurses and doctors tried to resuscitate Prashant, but he could not be saved.
“Basically, the hospital administration and the employees of Grey Nuns Community Hospital have killed my husband by not providing him with timely medical help,” she stated.
Prashant’s father, Kumar Sreekumar was quoted as saying that hospital staff did an electrocardiogram on his son to check his heart’s function.
The staff told the family that there was nothing of significance, the father added.
“He told me, ‘Papa, I cannot bear the pain,’” Kumar Sreekumar said.
The Covenant Health healthcare network, which runs the Grey Nuns Hospital, later issued a statement and said: “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.”
Prashant is survived by his wife and three children, ages three, 10, and 14.
