Sat Dec 27 16:02:04 UTC 2025: News Article:
Indian-Origin Man Dies After 8-Hour Wait at Canadian Hospital; Wife Demands Accountability
Toronto, Canada – December 27, 2025 – The wife of Prashant Sreekumar, a 44-year-old accountant of Indian origin, is calling for accountability after her husband died of suspected cardiac arrest while waiting for treatment at Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. Sreekumar was taken to the hospital on December 22nd after experiencing severe chest pains, but waited over eight hours before being seen.
According to local media reports, Sreekumar underwent an ECG and was given Tylenol, but remained in the waiting room despite elevated blood pressure readings. He died within seconds of being called to the treatment area.
Niharika, Sreekumar’s wife, believes negligence or even racism may have played a role in her husband’s death. “We are all Canadian citizens,” she said. “We have worked and paid so much into the tax bucket in this country, and the one time Prashant needed medical help, he was not given it.” She is now left to care for their three children, ages three, ten, and fourteen, as Sreekumar was the family’s sole provider.
Varinder Bhullar, an Indian community leader and family friend, highlighted the deteriorating state of Canada’s healthcare system and inadequate hospital bed capacity. While acknowledging an ECG was performed, he believes the rising blood pressure was a missed warning sign.
While Bhullar refuted claims of racism, he emphasized the issue was negligence or a system failure. He further mentioned that other community members have similar claims and have approached him in the past.
Covenant Health, the hospital’s operator, stated the case is under review by the chief medical examiner and offered condolences to the family. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has stated it expects the Canadian government to take responsibility for the matter.
The incident has sparked a debate about healthcare accessibility and quality in Canada, particularly the long wait times faced by patients in emergency departments.
First Piper 