Alberta Doctors Uncover Epidemic of Emergency Ward Deaths

Article content A shocking private report from Alberta doctors details six recent deaths under appalling conditions in emergency departments. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account Email Address or Article content One involved a man in his 50s who waited seven hours in emergency before leaving. He called EMS the next day but died of organ failure due to acute strep infection. Article content Article content ”This is a tragic case where the patient would likely still be alive had he been seen more urgently at his first presentation,” says the report by Dr. Paul Parks, who compiled cases from doctors across the province. Article content Article content In another case, a woman waited eight hours before being seen for a bowel obstruction and perforation. She finally got surgery but died in the intensive-care unit. Article content Prompt treatment probably would have saved her, the report says, but “there was already an eight-hour wait when the shift began. Article content “There was never a chance to get to this patient because so many other acute patients kept bumping her from getting the next available care space in the (emergency department).” Article content Emergency doctors have said for years that people are dying because of long waits, but this is the first time they have released details. Article content The report follows publicity over the death of 44-year-old Prashant Sreekumar of heart failure while waiting at Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton. Article content Article content In that case, the details and name only became public because the family talked to media and pleaded for justice. The government ordered a public fatality inquiry. Article content Article content Read More Article content In the doctors’ report, names and locations are heavily “anonymized” to prevent violating privacy legislation. Article content Parks sent the report a week ago to Premier Danielle Smith and two of her health ministers. He says they have not responded. Article content Deaths caused by long waits for health care have always been wrapped in secrecy, both because of privacy laws and the fact that health executives are required to sign non-disclosure agreements. Article content Both Parks and Dr. Warren Thirsk, head of the Alberta Medical Association’s emergency medicine division, urge people who have bad or even tragic experiences to speak out publicly.