The Alberta government has mandated a formal, judge-led public inquiry into a devastating incident at an Edmonton hospital, where a 44-year-old man died after waiting for emergency care for over eight hours. The move follows mounting pressure and what the province's health minister describes as serious, unanswered questions surrounding the tragedy.
A Tragic Wait for Care
Prashant Sreekumar arrived at the emergency department of the Grey Nuns Community Hospital on December 22, 2025, suffering from severe chest pains. Despite his critical condition, he remained in the waiting area for more than eight hours before receiving medical attention. He died in the hospital that same day.
Now, his widow, Niharika Sreekumar, is seeking justice and demanding systemic reforms, stating the healthcare system failed her husband and their family. The case has sparked widespread concern across the province about the state of emergency medical services.
Minister Calls for Independent, Public Review
Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Matt Jones announced the inquiry, calling the death a tragedy felt by all Albertans. He expressed specific concerns about the circumstances, even while acknowledging broader system pressures.
"While there is no doubt that pressures in the system, and specifically at the Grey Nuns emergency department on December 22nd impacted care, after reviewing the information available to me – with advice from clinical experts, I have concerns and unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding Mr. Sreekumar’s death," Jones stated to reporters.
He emphasized that while system-level improvements are underway, a detailed, independent, and public review of this specific case is necessary. The fatality inquiry, typically open to the public, was ordered by Justice Minister Mickey Amery at Jones's request, bypassing the usual recommendation process from the fatality review board.
System Under Scrutiny and Proposed Changes
The operator of the hospital, Covenant Health, has completed an internal review, but its findings have not been released publicly. A separate investigation by the office of the chief medical examiner is also ongoing.
In response to the crisis, Minister Jones announced a new pilot project: a triage liaison physician role will be tested at several major hospitals. This role is intended to improve the initial assessment of patients arriving in emergency departments.
The Alberta Medical Association (AMA) had previously issued a statement following Sreekumar's death, linking it to chronic overcapacity issues in emergency rooms province-wide. "Our acute care system is not well," read the statement from AMA president Dr. Brian Wirzba. "The current situation has exceeded normal operating parameters for acute care."
The provincial inquiry will examine all circumstances leading to the death and is expected to issue public findings and recommendations aimed at preventing similar future tragedies.
