‘Papa, I can’t bear the pain’: How Indian-origin man, kept waiting for hours at Canada hospital, died

The case of a 44-year-old Indian-origin man dying while awaiting treatment at a hospital in Canada is sparking anger and outrage. 

Prashant Sreekumar, 44, a father of three, died after being kept waiting for hours at Grey Nuns Hospital in Canada. Kumar had been rushed to the hospital after experiencing severe chest pain. 

But what happened? What do we know about Kumar’s case? 

Let’s take a closer look. 

Rushed to hospital but kept waiting 

Prashant was at work on Monday (December 22) when he began experiencing chest pain. As per Gulf News, he was rushed to the Grey Nuns Hospital in southeast Edmonton by a client. Here, he was registered at the triage department and told to wait in the emergency room. 

Prashant’s father, Kumar Sreekumar, arrived at the hospital soon afterwards. “He told me, ‘Papa, I cannot bear the pain,’” Kumar said. 

Kumar told  Global News  that Prashant was asked to rate how much pain he was in on a scale of 1 to 10. Prashant told the hospital staff that his pain was “15 out of 10.” An electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed, but the staff told Prashant to keep waiting. 

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“Prashant’s blood pressure went up, up, and up. To me, it was through the roof,” Kumar recounted. Eight hours elapsed before Prashant was finally called in for treatment. “After sitting maybe 10 seconds, he looked at me, he got up and put his hand on his chest and just crashed,” Kumar told the newspaper. 

Nurses called for assistance, but it was too late. Prashant had died of an apparent heart attack. 

Prashant’s wife, Niharika, has placed the blame for his death squarely at the feet of the hospital authorities and staff. She said he was brought to the hospital at 12.20 pm after experiencing acute chest pains around noon. 

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“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. 

44 year-old man passes away in the hospital after waiting over 8 hours in the emergency room in Canadian hospital 😳💔 pic.twitter.com/bHztPMbDkH

— RTN (@RTNToronto) December 25, 2025

“He was only prescribed Tylenol during the entire waiting time that he was outside, and he was not given help. They said that chest pain is not considered an acute problem. They do not suspect a cardiac arrest.” 

She recounted what happened after he was taken inside 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,” she added. 

She accused the security of being rude and unprofessional. “The security was so rude that instead of addressing the cause, they said, ‘Ma’am, you are being very rude,’” Niharika added. 

‘They took my baby for nothing’ 

Kumar remembered his son as a “goofball with his kids.” 

“He was for his family, for his kids; he was so nice. Anybody who talked to him said, we don’t know a better person than him,” Kumar continued, adding, “They took my baby for nothing. For nothing,” he was quoted by  The Telegraph. 

Varinder Bhullar, a family friend, called Prashant’s death a huge loss for the community, saying that he is “devastated.” 

“We expect better from the hospital and health-care system,” Bhullar told The Telegraph. 

Hospital says case under review 

Grey Nuns Hospital told  Global News  it could not comment on specific patient care details due to privacy issues. However, it confirmed that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was reviewing the case. 

“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. The Grey Nuns Hospital is run by the Covenant Health network. 

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has confirmed that Prashant was a Canadian national of Indian-origin.

“The person is of Indian origin, but he happens to be a Canadian national. So, obviously, the government of Canada should take responsibility in this particular matter,” Jaiswal said

With inputs from agencies