Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital, in Fredericton, NB, on July 14. Kevin Bissett/The Canadian Press
The death of a patient in the emergency room of a Fredericton hospital this week is prompting calls for major improvements to the province’s health care system.
John Staples, a residential care worker, witnessed the incident early Tuesday morning while waiting with a client at Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital and posted details on social media.
He said the man appeared to be in severe pain and discomfort as he waited for hours in a wheelchair, but eventually appeared to have fallen asleep.
“The ED came out to check on people and checked on him,” Staples said in an interview Wednesday. “She went back to the emergency room very professionally so as not to raise an alarm and came back with a few other people. They moved him to the back and as they did they called a code blue,” he said, referring to the hospital code for cardiac or respiratory arrest.
“Unfortunately, the gentleman passed away right there with us. He was literally on the verge of getting medical attention and didn’t get it.
Staples said he doesn’t blame the busy emergency room staff, but believes there is something wrong with the health care system and changes are needed.
“I think there needs to be a really long, hard look at what we have for health care. Why do people die in waiting rooms? I saw people leave the emergency room without being seen because they were frustrated with the long wait times,” he said.
The opposition Liberals responded to the patient’s death by calling for the resignation of Health Minister Dorothy Shepherd and for funding to hire more hospital staff.
“Unfortunately, given the incompetence of the Higgs government, and particularly the health minister, to deal with the dire health crisis in this province, this dire outcome was a very real possibility,” said Liberal health critic Jean-Claude D’ Amours in a statement on Wednesday.
“Prime Minister Higgs needs to stop whining to the federal government, demand his health minister resign and get on with saving our health care system before it’s too late,” D’Amours said. Higgs was in Victoria this week, where Canada’s premiers called on the federal government to discuss the future of health care funding.
Shepherd issued a statement saying she was saddened and concerned about the patient’s death, adding that she had requested a review of the incident.
“I have no doubt that every New Brunswicker and all of our health care workers are affected by this story.” We all want to know that when we go for help, it will be there and that it can be provided,” Shepherd said.
Dr. John Dornan, president of Horizon Health Network, which runs the hospital, issued a statement to confirm the unexpected death of a patient and said the review process had begun.
Staples’ Facebook post describing the incident drew a lot of comments. “People shouldn’t have to die waiting to be seen,” one person wrote. “To the Superiors Awake!! This is Canada!” Another said: “This is not a current government problem. This is a problem that has rested on the shoulders of every elected politician in this province for the past 25 years.
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