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Home : Top Stories : Man dies after 34 hours in ER without getting treatment

Man dies after 34 hours in ER without getting treatment

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CTV News Video

CTV's Kelly Dehn at the Health Sciences Centre

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ctvwinnipeg.ca

Date: Tue. Sep. 23 2008 1:09 PM ET

A Winnipeg man waited 34 hours in an emergency room this weekend, but died without getting treatment.

Sources tell CTV News he was homeless.

Last Friday at 3:00 p.m., the man walked into the emergency room at the Health Sciences Centre seeking treatment.

At 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning, staff found the man unconscious.

He was pronounced dead a short time later, after they tried to resuscitate him.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) won't release the man's name and they won't say what he came in for.

Unconfirmed reports also claim the man may have been dead for several hours before he was noticed by staff.

Those allegations will now be part of the review looking into the matter.

A critical incident review is underway involving the Health Sciences Centre, its emergency department, and the WRHA.

"It's a concern when something like that happens," WRHA spokesperson Heidi Graham told CTV News. "We want to review and find out, not pre-judge, what happened during those hours. But we are going to get to the bottom and find out what happened."

The WRHA wouldn't go any further, saying just that the review will identify what went wrong, and make recommendations of how things should be changed to prevent this from happening again.

But the Manitoba's Conservative health critic says there's no way it should have happened at all.

"I find this unbelievable. This is a horrible failure of our health care system," Myrna Driedger said. "We have been harping on the NDP government for many many years now, that we have a crisis in our ERs. We have been told numerous times by this government and by this premier that they are fixing it. This is not a fix of our health care system when a person dies in a waiting room."

With a report from CTV's Kelly Dehn

Please Add Comments( )

Dustin
said
0 0

This is a really big report. This is going to shock Winnipeg and the country. If such a horrible situation could ever happen in such a country where we belive in good health care. Now the public will natually play the blame card. Shame to our health care system. To all those believing that our health care isn't important I believe it should be our most important issue in todays world.


warren
said
0 0

If this happens in the States, you hear about for ever, when it happens here the media sinks the story. Viva los NDP !


Wendy
said
0 0

Gads, it takes almost 2 weeks to see my family doctor, now its not safe to try an ER , guess you must have one heck of a status to get decent medical treatment here.


ej
said
0 0

This is just awful. Guess free health care ain't all it's cracked up to be!!!! I took my 7 month old daugter to emergency last summer, she had a bad cough and would stop breathing and turn blue. They sent me home with baby dimetapp. I brought her back again the next day as I was afraid she would die, turned out she had a severe case of pertussis. When they told me to take a seat in the waiting room, I chose to sit right in front of the nurses station and wait for her to have an attack. That finally got her in to see a doctor. We have a crappy hospital system!! RIP whoever you are.


R. Unger
said
0 0

Third world medicine is all I can say...Another example of the disparity in health care provision for the poor in Canada.


cdb
said
0 0

How could something like this tragedy happen with all this high priced staff and unionized workers, its a real shame.


Haggis MacBagpipes
said
0 0

It is unfortunately obvious that whatever the man went into the HSC for he didn't get.
Why make note that the man was a street person? Is there a restriction on who gets treatment and who doesn't? That should NOT Happen.


WT
said
0 0

Ms Dreiger shouldn't be throwng stones at the NDP for this horrible failure.. I gues she forgot about the Fimon days and her Former Health Minister Darren Praznik who was thier horrible failure not only to the health care system but also to Manitobans who paid our fair share of taxes and were denied proper health care from the PC Party.. So, my advice to her is maybe you should tone down your remarks about the NDP and look at your former governments performance.. God help us if you and your party ever win the next provincial election I'm sure health care will be your job to destroy our health care..


kim
said
0 0

What is this world coming to that someone is ignored and left to die in a hospital waiting room. The health care system really has to be torn apart and redone as I believe that is a large part of the problem. Not enough nurses and doctors and when you are fighting a losing battle something has to go wrong somewhere. Sadly it had to be this person.


Terri
said
0 0

"It's a concern when something like that happens". Ya think????? I bet that if this person had come into that ER wearing a suit and tie, he would have been seen within the hour. But because he was a "street person" he got to wait 36 hrs and then dies anyways? How do those people that work in that ER sleep at night??

We have been promised shorter wait times. I think that the Government has failed ER Patients long enough. Now let's wait and see what garbage promises this horrific error is going to dredge up.

I had a family member brought to that particular ER 22 years ago suffering from a stroke. The service was the same as it still is today. We waited 17 HOURS for a CT scan. 17 HOURS while he had bleeding in his head. Who knows what speech could have been saved if they had acted quickly. I also worked in that ER. There are images in my head that I will never forget and they all involve staff.

I fail to see how upgrading an ER to help patients is ever going to change the issues when the patients are dying before they are seen.


JB
said
0 0

It is a very dire situation when an event of this nature occurs. We have a triage system so what went wrong here?


Ken in WPG
said
0 0

While we need to wait until the full story on this develops, the Doer government has been bungling Manitoba services for years and it is now hitting an all time low. Everything from mishandling the hog industry, northern hydro development, the education system, and now a death in the healthcare system. It's time for new ideas as they aren't coming from the "New" democratic party any more. Hopefully the family of the deceased and the public get the answers to this seemingly senseless death.


Ariel Lee
said
0 0

It is very frightening that this happens so often. Didn't the HSC have another death not that long ago of someone waiting for an ultrasound test? I am awaiting day surgery later this week and there have already been several errors made. I have very little confidence in the health care system. You have to have some medical knowledge and really be on top of it. I am surprised more errors don't happen and wonder how many do and are shoved under the rug.


RK in Wpg
said
0 0

Are you surprised? The only surprise is that it took this long for this tragic event to happen.


Doug
said
0 0

HSC is the last place I would go for treatment...for my dog. It reminds me of the time I was an idiot and accidently shot myself with an air nailer in my home workshop. It happened at 10pm on a Friday night, I waited until 9am the next day for my FIRST Assesment, and was then told to return on Tuesday to have it removed! I was then butchered by some Doctor who could barely speak english who read the X-Ray upside down and had to make a 4 inch incision to find the nail. Of course it was well infected by this time and I required treatment with an IV Antibiotic 3 times a day for a week afterwards. I've always wondered how the guy made out with the crushed foot who left with me that Sat. morning, he had been there since noon Friday after being injured at work.


Mike MacRae Brandon
said
0 0

You certainly do not want to get sick in Manitoba these days. When will the people of our fair province wake up and get rid of Grinning Gary Doer? It is way past time folks.


gsav
said
0 0

In other reports, it is said that the man did not check in with the triage nurse. If he did not check in, then I wonder how it is known he was there for 34 hours? Security camera maybe.


lacluont
said
0 0

It's unfortunate the guy didn't make himself known to triage. That being said, a triage nurse is still supposed to periodically check on patients in the waiting room.
As for this government, they've certainly had their hands full undoing the nightmare that was the long term legacy of the Filmon Government. Filmon reduced the number of doctors to be trained in Manitoba and now guess what... we don't have enough doctors, and ER doctors have been the hardest to find.
Thanks Filmon. I noticed that your wife Janice had the very best of care when she needed it.
Hope you are able to sleep at night... mwa ha ha ha.


Feed-up the the NDP promises
said
0 0

After all the NDP promises to end hallway medicine - which actually resulted in placing numbers much like parking stalling in the hallways, and firing the directory of the Victoria hospital who refused to go along with their stupid counting process.

Here we have another prime example of NDP healthcare.

Did anyone read the amounts of bonuses doctors got in Newfoundland?

Time to get rid of this crappy NDP governemnt and switch back to PC.


Scott from Thorold, ON
said
0 0

Even though this happened in a PUBLIC Hospital under a SOCIALIZED system. Somehow it will get spun that the true villian is Stephen Harper and "Americanized" Health Care. It is too bad that the people in this country are not mature and sophisticated enough to have a serious debate of the topic.


Frustrated with Harper
said
0 0

Unfortunately this man's death is no doubt another result of the Harper governments Cuts to healthcare payments to the provinces, resulting in fewer people to do more work in our hospitals. Ask anyone who works there, or who is trying to finance our hospitals. Rest in Peace, sir!


Joanne
said
0 0

What is a health care system? Certainly nothing Manitoba has to offer. No one wants to work here - wonder why?! Horror stories are constantly being heard of the shocking inadequacies of our failing health care system and the deaths as a result. I think it is time that RHAs be abolished and the hospitals returned to the community directors - we never heard of these travesties before RHAs. There is no accountability. We must stand and fight for medicare and what it stands for.


lanny
said
0 0

Remember,to the government you're a number. A source of income. the only thing they care about is how much money you are capable of providing to them. The persons who live on the street, in the governments eyes are not good numbers - they provide little income to the salaries of rich government officials. (Why spend money on this guy if there is no way we can recoup our expenses?) You can be rest assured that conversation/question was asked. In regards to the person this story is about - RIP.


The Real Jonny
said
0 0

Those who compare our health care system to Third World countries are insulting the latter. Such places as Cuba and Belize have nearly free systems (even for foreign visitors) with no waiting times.


Jay
said
0 0

Very sad state of affairs. Our system is degrading and the doctors are getting are getting richer. We have very few doctors who control the system and monopolize the way we can hire doctors and medical professionals.

If we have more doctors working in the hospital, we would prevent such tragedies from happening. A person lost his life and we can't do anything about it.

We need to start working now. The entire medical system is to blame as its 'fee for service' and the more patients doctors see the more they get paid. Sad but true, that's how these guys make money. No one cares for us anymore. All they care is how much you will make for them. We are walking checks for physicians and they always want more and more.

GTA
said
0 0

Health care is NOT FREE. Where do you think a bundle of our taxes we pay goes to. The way things are we are not getting good value for our money and the system needs to be revamped.


fed up with abusers of emergency ottawa
said
0 0

Here is what I think: too many people in this country are using emergency in situations on a weekend or evenings where they should be using their own doctor because they don't want to wait to see their own doc. This is wrong. It is not only costly, it is not safe considering life threatening situations like this one can slip through the cracks. If it isn't life threatening someone should not be going to emergency, in my view, sorry. Then the real emergencies can be dealt with. Use some sense, people. Stop trashing our health care system. It is the process that is at fault. I think more people should just be turned away and just told to go to a health clinic.


Donna
said
0 0

Not surprising and very inexcusable. Who checks the waiting area, a security guard? I don't care who you are...homeless or rich, they both deserve the same respect within the hospital walls!


Donna
said
0 0

To Mrs. Dredger, don't blame the NDP, they are trying to fix something that the Conservatives broke. Are you trying to say they were short staffed? That NOBODY saw this man there... yeah right.

Greg
said
0 0

Before we get all indignant and yell out how terrible the health care system is, we need more information. This article says nothing really.
We don't know if the man came in and actually spoke to anyone or just sat down down in the corner.
We don't know what other injuries came in that night that may have consumed all the key staffs time.
We don't know how common it is for homeless people to come into this particular ER, maybe just to get out of the cold.
We don't know how busy the ER was that day (some ERs see hundreds of people in a day, especially on a Friday night). We don't know how busy the ER is normally, or how may staff members were on duty.
We don't know if there was or when the shift change was.
We don't know if and how often this has happened in this particular ER.

How can we tell if this is a "a horrible failure of our health care system", or a mistake. Mistakes are not necessarily failures of the system, they may be, but often there just poor communication.

This article isn't reporting, it's gossip, and without real information we the readers can't make rational choices on how to address problems like this. Do some real reporting CTV, ask some real questions, dig a little and give us all the facts.

And to the rest of us, it's our responsibility to ask questions too. Get your information strait before you jump to conclusions, because without real information we could zig when we really need to zag, and our health care is too important to make snap decisions with inadequate information.

Murray Kyle
said
0 0

Kyle

It's pretty sad when we as a socity, country are willing to stand by and watch people die due to the love of the all mighty dollar.
We elect politicians to repersent our best interest, oh sorry their best interest as they fill their political supporters with our tax dollars aka Banks etc and then we are told that their is not enough money lift over to save a person life, shame on every CANADIAN look in the mirror and blame yourself for not taking action to correct this ever growing issue, how long is too long?
Hold our elected officals accountable and all actions of their office transperant to see how our money is being spent.


kuldeep
said
0 0

best nation with worst health care system in the world. my wife keep walking to family doctors and emergency with back pain from last 5 month in toronto



MJB
said
0 0

High time for a private/public health care system!!
Let the rich pay for their own treatments across town and reduce wait times in the public system. What a joke!


CW, Moncton
said
0 0

As sad as it is to say, this is a problem right across the country. I spent several hours in the ER of a Moncton hospital yesterday. After a fall I went in and waited for almost 6 hours...and saw no one. I decided to go home where at least I could take something for the pain and get some rest. My daughter in law who is 13 weeks pregnant was having some problems so I went back with her thinking that her problem would have to be important enough for her to be seen. We both left 7 hours later without seeing a doctor. We were not the only ones to do that. The state of our health care system is unbelievable. With the federal election looming, this should be the first priority for politicians. But unfortunately, they will say anything to get elected but once in office, nothing at all will be done. It is not the fault of the overworked and understaffed ER's. I blame it on the idiots in Ottawa that are pulling the strings.


M. Cameron
said
0 0

This is precisely why we need to stop the brain drain of medical professionals leaving Canada.


Murray
said
0 0

I am starting to think that as in everything else in this country our Health Care system is being affected by ignorance..How can you make cut backs in a crtical importance to the public and expect to get good results??Its ridiculous..We have a new hospital here in "Cobourg"with what they call the fast lane..It's an ER where you go in and wait for up to 8 hours or longer to be seen and to be told you have to see your family Doctor.Some people will drive to Peterborough as it is quicker..We have Doctors here that refuse to go see thier patients in the hospital..What is with that???Like everything else the government steps in makes cutbacks and lines their pockets at our expense..It shouldnt matter if you are a vagrant or a politician you deserve the same treatment maybe the vagrant more so!!! People get thier pets taken care of quicker and with more compassion!!!


Shamaro
said
0 0

Our health care system is no question, one of the best in the world. Better to have some health care than no health care at all, because I don't think any of us here can afford to have what the US has.

That being said, we still need to invest billions more into our system health care system and it is my opinion, that every Canadian should pay at least an extra $100 or more in taxes that go straight into our health care system, so that we can at least hire more nurses and doctors to fill those gaps and to cut down wait times.

This is an issue that is both provincial and federal, so there is lots of blame to go around.


Donna May
said
0 0

Something similar happened in Trenton, ON a few years ago, except the victim passed away of a heart attack in the waiting room of the ER. It was completely hushed up and nothing done. The average wait here is 6 - 10 hours for a dire emergency. Longer if you have something more minor wrong with you. Wake up people - This is supposed to be one of the best countries in the world, but you act as if we are less than a third world country.


TIm Marintlad
said
0 0

People PLEASE!!! Forget the hospital, forget the nurse's,forget the dr's, a person lost his life that's first and foremost isn't it? At least offer condelences to the family first I know I did. I used to blaim people for being in the emergency room for things like sliver's or cough's but when you think about it, these people must feel scared or why else would they wait a minimum of 8 hours sitting in a chair? I doubt they do it so they don't have to wait an hour in the dr's office. What I think it could be is people just don't have a dr PERIOD and that's why they go there.I think TRIAGE needs to be looked at too that way they can assure parents and people that they're okay to wait for a clinic visit and don't need to sit in the ER all day and night.Triage is taking the worst hit first then work down the ladder to the slivers so why not have a nurse every hour quickly/safely check people one starts at the bottom one starts at the top and meet in themiddle I'm sure it would send a lot of folks home knowing they're not going to die.


Chris Johnson, from Shanty Bay
said
0 0

When is this country going to wake up and smell the roses, out healthcare system is in Dire straits! it needs a complete overhaul, medical staff need to be paid more, and we need to increase the amount of doctors available.


Francine
said
0 0

Isn't the first line of the Physicians oath, I will do no harm...

So buddy makes it to the hospital, which is what he was supposed to do, and NO ONE notices that he's dying in the hallway? Sincerely, How busy is the Health Sciences staff that NOBODY saw him and thought maybe he should be triaged a little faster? Are staff that oblivious? Too short staffed? The RHA's do not impress me in Manitoba. It's all about the bottom line - to hell with the patient's care.
That is a failure of our health care system at it's highest level.


PVT
said
0 0

We can all thank the Liberal governments of the 90's for gutting our health care system and making it what it is today - horribly inadequate and outright shameful. They (Liberals) had to cut health care to make finances available for the Sponorship Scandal I guess.

Going to Emergency here in St. Catharines is no different. Once my wife bloated up and got a full body rash from something - we had no idea what was going on so we went to emergency. 8 hours later we walked out without seeing anyone. Nice testament to Liberal governance. Massive surpluses don't mean a thing when services like health care go down the tube. Think about that before you put the red and white sign on your front lawn.


Nurse Meg
said
0 0

Coming from the healthcare system myself, this is purely governmental, the ER's across the country have gone downhill - sure havent seen anything change with that and its been like this for years. Some ER docs are even now threatening to close emergs, for not enough staff. No docs and no nurses equals no care. Maybe if the government wouldnt make it impossible for foreign docs to get their licences here we wouldnt be so short nationwide. need to look outside the box. something to think about anyway.


Lee Tanner
said
0 0

Thank you Greg.... that was the ONLY reasonable comment here. I am so tired of all these self righteous people jumping to false conclusions. I agree we have problems with our health care system, but get your facts straight before blaming politicians. Personally, as someone married to a health care professional.... I believe our problems are a mostly of similar self-righteous people who come to the ER for treatment when a walk in clinic or family doctor would be more appropriate. They seem to feel it's their right to utilize this valuable resource no matter what their condition. ER's are for LIFE threatening conditions ONLY. Nothing will change until people get that.


Willy in Alberta
said
0 0

Hey "Frustrated with Harper" person... it was your libs who cut $25 billion in health care transfers to the provinces to balance the budget while cutting EI payments and increasing EI costs to employers and employees alike. Your ndp gang did nothing for healthcare but make it more bloated with redtape, greedy unions, whinniy nurses and fatcat managers milking the system. The system needs change and fast



Paul B.
said
0 0

First and foremost,my thoughts and prayers go out to this man and his family. I would agree that specifing that he was a homeless man was not needed. Why do we as a society have to put labels on everybody. He is a man who died waiting for health care. We don't need to know if he was white, black, pink green, english, irish, asian or middle eastern. And we wonder why there is still racism in our world.


Chris
said
0 0

Folks mistakes happen. This was a very dire and grave mistake mind you. However one incident isn't indicative of a drastically horrible system. A few years ago under the Mike Harris system, in Ontario, there were people dying in hospital hallways. That got fixed. We have amazing emergency departments with highly trained individuals who are intelligent and deal with crises very well.

A few years ago my dad had a massive heart attack, at 42. The entire process from the fire department who were the first on the scenes to the ambulance who kept him alive while he got to the hospital to the doctors and the emergency room who saved his life. We are often quick to criticize our health care system. Until you've seen it in action in a life or death situation, I urge you to keep an open mind.

You folks are criticizing the system without having all the facts. Did he check in with the triage nurse ? if he didn't why not ? How did the hospital staff know that he wasn't just coming in from the cold ? where was he found ? In a bathroom ? Out of plain view ? If he felt his condition getting worse why didn't he go back to the nurse ? At people once they reach a certain age (say 16). Have to start taking SOME responisbility for themselves. A nurse can only do so much. When she has a primary duties to perform. You folks who are criticizing the system so heavily, would want a nurse or a doctor to constantly monitor people in the waiting room, a triage nurse, and then complain when your taxes go up to pay for it. This wasn't about money, Or the fact the guy was homeless.


Concerned
said
0 0

"It's a concern.."? How can Heidi Graham be so calm? I guess the life of a homeless man is just a "concern". Would a famous, or infamous, or wealthy person be allowed to die? This is a terrible tragedy.


Just another frustrated taxpayer
said
0 0

.It isn't just situated to one province. My mother a few years ago went to the emergency room after what was thought of a minor stroke. they sent her home after the doctor saw her because it was his quitting time and he had a family function to go to so he gave her some demerol and sent her on her way. they took her back the next day after her eye was bulgin out of her head and she couldn't walk. once again oh we think she had a stroke but the neurologist is off tonight so send her home. After the third day and my dad screamed at the staff to do something they gave her an mri and found out she had a brain tumor. because they didn't spend the time to do their jobs properly and she wasn't treated right she succomed to her illness a few days later.
Our health care system is failing miserably. quit bailing out big business and put the money where it belongs - back to the people!!


MedicineShouldNotProfitFromSuffering
said
0 0

The first thing to remember in the constant debate about public vs private health care is that neither system is perfect.

Public systems tend to have good intentions but problems with efficiency and service delivery.

Private systems lack compassion and assign access to treatment based on ability to pay and do not use medical need in their decisions.

Both systems sometimes result in failure to meet the patients needs.

The deciding factor for me is the diffent intent of the two systems.

The philosophy behind private, for profit health care offends me.

The idea that one person would be more worthy of treatement because of their net worth just appalls me and I can never get past that.

Maybe it is because my family has always been of modest means and would likely not make the financial cut for "A" list medical treatment in a for profit system and I would feel differently if I knew my loved ones would always get the treatment they need under for profit care.

I don't think so because I really believe that all people are of equal value based on things other than the size of their wallet.

Poor americans dying without treatment in the US is common. Such a death would be met with a shrug of indifference from their medical industry. No money or insurance, no treatment, you suffer or die.

Never forget this fact when arguing about our system.


Gerald from Belleville
said
0 0

I think that the fact this person was homeless is a key factor here.

This is not the first time that a homeless or destitute person is ignored or overseen by the medical system. Stereotypes plague the homeless: lazy, drunk, sick, bums, etc... Sadly, these stereotypes occur not only amongst the general population but also within the medical system.

In all likelihood, SOMEONE saw the man but it did not register that he might need help. People might have assumed "here's just another drunken bum" and ignored him. But the prejudice kicks in and he is ignored.

He did not report to triage: many homeless folk have serious mental health issues, and he might not have had the insight at that moment to reach out and ask for help, counting on the system to seek him out...he is in a hospital after all!

Fact of the matter, nurses should make at least an hourly run of the ER to ensure that everyone has been triaged...


Anne Ottawa
said
0 0

Wow nothing stirs up a debate like talking about our health care problems! First, someone said something I agree with: my deepest condolences to the family of the man who died. Secondly I see some great ideas here. I think we need a think tank of non politicians to figure out how to fix the system, does anyone agree with that?? it is more than just adding more doctors and nurses to emerg, we need more clinics where people can go if they dont have a doc, so they are not left hanging in the wind to get a needle or something. second the pay docs receive in this country for the amount of education and training not to mention responsibility they have has now become a scandal! if this isnt remedied there will be no docs here in the future, they will all go to the US. another issue for our kids to have to deal with. something has definitely gotta give, but fortunately things like this happening do tend to institute changes.


Dino H
said
0 0

it's unfortunate that person died. But you people are unreal. Canada has one of the best health care system in the world, sometimes you have to wait long in the ER but if everyone stop going to emergency rooms because their toes hurt or they have a headache they wouldn't be such long waits. Emergency rooms are for emergencies only. Go to a walk in clinic for your headache.
Stop blaming the system when it's you that creates the problem



Barry Quebec City
said
0 0

It takes forever to get drs from other countries to get practicing here and no time for our Drs to get into the States. Think our Drs should stay here for ten years after they graduate then they can go



Larry I
said
0 0

This is all the fault of Stephen Harper and his right wing government. It's time to put the Liberals back in charge as they are much better at handling health affairs.


Del
said
0 0

I am not surprised with this man dying at the Health Sciences Centre. Last year i sat in the waiting room a couple of nights as my dad was in intensive care. I saw a lot of patients coming to try get emergency treatment, and they were left sitting there from the night before. When i left the hospital daily these were the same people left sleeping all night In the waiting room. I was shocked to see the treatment the patients were given. This other man came staggering in the hospital. He was a native man. He was put in a wheel chair. They didn't know this man was diabetic. He was treated like a drunk and meanwhile his sugar level was just low.
I was wondering when they will find someone dead in their waiting room.


Simon Shaw
said
0 0

Face the facts. Our society is used to seeing homeless people dressed in gutter like clothing looking as taatered as ever and usually slumped over some park bench or chair "asleep" The criminal action here is that this occured not on a park bench but in front of numerous nurses and doctors charged with our care. DO NOT LET THEM GET AWAY BY INDICTING THE SYSTEM!! Every nurse and doctor in charge should lose their license to practice medicine. The Doctor on call and the nurses in charge should be sent to jail. If this happened in china they would probably be executed. A response I find repulsive but let us not forget what these nurses and doctors did to one of us. Please do not blame this poor individuals death on the system.


bahamamama
said
0 0

would like to know more about this, such as had he curled up in a corner and fallen asleep. my daughter had to go to the er in vancouver and was amazed at the prompt and excellent care she received. people in canada love to complain about the health system, but hey guys, you don't have to pay before the hospital will even look at you and be turned away if you can't pay. when i had to take my daugher to the hospital here at home in the bahamas, the best one (private) needed a $4,000.00 deposit. as i didn't have it we had to go to the government hospital where she waited over 14 hours to be seen (we still had to pay $35.00). have a feeling this guy must have been hiding out from the staff.


kevin
said
0 0

I had a friend, an avid runner, a part time actor who went to school with Graham Green the Aboriginal actor. Unfortunately, he too was Aboriganal. He went in to the hospital complaining of chest pains. They sent him home three times saying it was only "heart burn". Heart burn alright; he died of a massive heart attack. He was never hooked up to an ECG machine to check him out. I went in and was immediately hooked up and checked over before I was released. 2 tier medicine? you bet yah.


Keith in Brampton
said
0 0

To MJB:

While there is no doubt that our system needs a major overhaul, unless we have more doctors a two tier system such as you propose would allow the rich to move to the head of the line and leave the rest of us with even longer waits than at present. It would also likely mean the rich would get the good doctors and the rest would get the inexperienced and the incompetent.

If we get your system and you're not one of the rich, I sure hope you're really, REALLY healthy...


Mr. Angry
said
0 0

I think those bastards working for the hospitals should have proper training. 34 hours in an emergency room and no attention?!! Unacceptable!!! Now I imagine if it was the Prime Minister of Canada it would be a different song and dance huh?!! Someone should sue that hospital for every penny they have for such deplorable actions . We are talking about a human beings life for God's sake.


Repulsed in Cambridge,ON
said
0 0

How horrible, I'm so very sorry for this man and his family.

Health care is a mess across the nation and it's not because of the gov't although I would love to blame them, the problem is the nurses and doctors.

There is a complete absence of empathy from the nurses who run the emergency centre and are responsible for this mans death and the thousands every year they mistreat, turn away, ignore and inflict malginant indifference upon. Medicines dirty little secret is that the nurses are the problem; I gave birth this summer and never, ever experienced so many petty, unprofessional, incompetent and heartless nursing. These nurses were more concerned with hospital politics & malicious gossip about eachother and the mothers who were stunned and overwhelmed from giving birth. The doctors were no better.

More money and more staff will not solve this problem, we need BETTER staff via entry into nursing and medical programs.

ej: my heart was torn up when reading your story, as my baby is only two months old and I would've done the exact same thing.


Fave
said
0 0

Trust me its not just the waiting times it is also the medical malpractice and especially if you are non-white you could drop dead in the ER and no one would be held accountable.This is the case in ON and we have personal experience.


CC
said
0 0

Okay where are all the people from a week ago who said "our health care system is so much better then the American system" and thats all that seemed to matter to them .....ummmm really! is it that much better?


Ken - Calgary
said
0 0

Stephen Harper promised in the last election to reduce wait times at hospitals.

Promise made, promise BROKEN.


disgusted w docs
said
0 0

We have a VERY sick healthcare system in this country. My wife and I have personal experience with this. A specialist's nurse has told me that I will wait up to a year before I see the specialist. The specialist makes his own prioritites as to who he sees and when he sees them.

My wife who has some heart issues has been told the same thing. So far she has been waiting for more than three months to see the specialist.

What I can't understand is that a friend gets in to see a specialist in days. Could it be that because this friend pays cash for MRI's and such that he gets prefered treatment???


Buck
said
0 0

Its really amusing to hear everyone blame political parties for every tragedy..sorry folks, this isn the fault of the Conservatives, Liberals or NDP. This is an obvious case of human error in the ER where someone just screwed up....really bad.


dan
said
0 0

My wife was miscarrying and she waiting 27 hours till she blead all over the waiting room ..
Way to go Harper , Your day will come
Haha you all know he will privatize it then everyone will have no family doctor unless your rich yeeeeeee


Cold day in ....
said
0 0

God don't strike me down for saying this but: Willy in Alberta is RIGHT.

And billions of those dollars they cut from those SOCIAL programs like health care and EI simply vanished, disappeared into the void.


Charley Rose
said
0 0

If they did not know he was there, how is it they know he was there at 3 pm?


Dd
said
0 0

So much for Harper's promise to reduce waiting times.

Steve
said
0 0

Well just blame the doer goverment for this whole healthcare issue. He said he would shorten waiting lists and get people help quicker. Just ask yourself this question do you think if gary doer went to the healths science center,would he have waited for 34 hours. He makes me sick he has not even made a statement regarding this situation,what a little weasel. mr doer this isnt a third world country were talking about its canada this should never happen anywhere. Shame on the people at health science center staff who probably walked by this guy hours and hours and did nothing.


concerned
said
0 0

I say blame the nurses. Too many of them think they are Doctors and make uneducated judgment calls on patients. Many are also busy trying to look busy and get nothing done. They'll soon be calling for another strike because they are "Overworked". My plan is to send one of my children to medical school so we'll have our own doctor.


mercedeze
said
0 0

Dear ej
I went through the same thing with my son. After numerous trips at the hospital - this one was the end of the end at 5:00 a.m. a doctor prescribed a barbituate and told me to go home. If not for my pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart my son would have died. The barbituate prescribed was strong enough to kill a horse. My advice to all parents: get a good pharmacist and have him get to know your family real well as they are the only one that are in touch with reality! Thanks again Med for saving our son!


Cecelia O'Conner
said
0 0

The problem here lies with too many people - govenment, nurses, doctors ect - who make too much money and don't care for the average Canadian person... WHAT WE NEED IS THE AVERAGE CANADIAN PERSON to run this country.


ladyjade
said
0 0

Water Water everywhere but none to drink!

Hope staff are proud of themselves and accountable for their actions! Isn't this why we taxpayers pay them the BIG BUCKS!


Jenny
said
0 0

I agree with Paul B. It doesn't matter if the man was homeless, or what the colour of his skin, etc. He was still a human being, somebody's son, brother, perhaps father and deserved better than that.


StopBlowingItUp
said
0 0

Excuse me, this is NOT a problem with the health care system. Stop making it seem like it is.

The man was not registered as a patient waiting for medical care.

Which means he came in, sat down, didn't speak to anyone.

The problem with our health care system is that lines are too long.

This guy's problem was that he wasn't even in the line! Too bad. True, no one thought to ask him if he was ok. Homeless people sit in ER's all the time without speaking to anyone. Guess what? Homeless people die all the time too.

I know everyone is fired up about the election but this is seriously NOT a health care issue... no NDP bashing required. :P


Man in Van
said
0 0

Everybody in the rest of Canada needs to stop complaining about health care. Here in B.C. we don't have free health care like the rest of the country. Here we actually have to pay $174.00 every six months just to get the card so you can go to the hospital without $500 cash in hand. Between my Job and my rent, I can't afford the premiums so I don't have any health care at all!


Sharon
said
0 0

This happens because no one really cares about their job anymore. All they can think about is go to work do a job and get the hell out, so what if someone is still waiting to see a doctor.


Darren
said
0 0

If anybody hasn't noticed yet, the Winnipeg hospital systems are an absolute joke. Do you actually think that the doctors especially at hsc actually pay attention to situations at hand? All it is, is a pay check for them. They don't care who lives or dies.


CaS
said
0 0

My condolences to this man's family.

It'a amazing to see how many knee jerk reactions there have been to this story which is very light on actual details. No, it should not have happned, but still it looks like the story was rushed out and the result is instant panic.

I do feel bad for those here who tell their ER horror stories. I know that it happens and there is no excuse for it. But keep in mind that thousands of people are seen by ER's every year. For every bad story there are hundreds of good ones, but no one wants to talk about them. Also for every person who's sitting in an ER waiting room, there are probably a few who are there only because they can't find a family doctor, which really jams up the system.

Bottom line, wait until you hear all the details before you freak out, and the government should do something about the lack of family physicians. Maybe that would ease the load a bit.


Jennifer
said
0 0

My mother walked to the ER a few years ago, she sat their for 12 hours before she was seen. The doctors and nurses diagnosed her as being severly dehydrated filled her up with IV fluids and sent her home. She died the next day at 47 years of age. Her post mortem report said the cause of death was pneunomia. To this day I'll always believe that because my mother walked in and maintained a sense of humour the doctors and nurses never took her illness seriously. To the people complaining about the walk in clients and wasting tax payers dollars, you should not be so judgemental sometimes even ill people look healthy.

Also blaming political parties is not the solution, yes there have been cutbacks, but should hospitals not be held accountable for their own lack of direction. This hopital left this man for 34 hours without treatment, how can any one possibly justify that the government did this to this man and his family. Please place responsibility where it belongs. In this case it was clearly the hospital that failed the patient.


Lorraine
said
0 0

Sadly, Manitoba is not the only province in this country suffering critical health care issues. We in British Columbia are faced with the same alarming situations on an all too frequent basis. If governments maintain their policy of contracting out and, as a result, enforcing complacency on those in the health care field (including doctors, nurses, support staff, and custodial staff),the situation will only get worse. Many of our seniors receive terrible care - and this after decades of paying taxes to build and support the infrastructure of our society - the same infrastructure our governments with their distorted policies seem bent on eroding.


T. Dee
said
0 0

Has any one ever been in the HSC ER on a weekend (Friday and Saturday)? It is an EMERGENCY room! It is the sight of some of the most serious accidents, stabbings, and health emergencies imaginable. There are doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, security guards. Yet the deceased never reported to the triage nurse. Would more staffing heve helped?


Cathy
said
0 0

My husband was in the HSC emergency for 8 hours this past saturday. There needs to be a designated treatment centre for intoxicated individuals, weather it be from alcohol or drugs. The city's ERs are overwhelmed with self inflicted illnesses, and need to be cleared for people who really need to be there. The triage nurses don't reasses waiting patients unless they go up to complain, about a worsening condition.


Just my opinion
said
0 0

The man walked into the ER at 3 pm. Then died hours later. It is sad that this happened but all you people are really quick at jumping on the nurses,doctors and other healthcare workers in the ER. Unless you have worked in a ER or Hospital you have no idea what healthcare workers face every day.
Nurses are not "high priced" and if they are "whinny" maybe it is because hospitals are short staffed and they are doing the best they can.

Did the man go to the desk and let someone know he was there?
I have worked in a hospital and I have been a patient in the waiting room. I have seen people walk into the ER and just sit down. Are they there to see a Doctor?Are they there waiting for someone?Are they there just to have a seat and something to drink or eat out of the vending machines (which I have seen also).
All I am saying is that unless you where there and know the whole story don't be so quick to jump to conclusions..As for the politicians...Doesn't matter who is in office nothing will be fixed they all make promises but that is about it.


Dana
said
0 0

What a sad state of affairs our health care system is. I wonder if he would have received treatment had he not been homeless? How can someone site for 34 hours without being checked? Sadly not surprising - that poor man. Our system has failed him, and many others. What will it take to knock some sense into our politicians/fat cats who are responsible for this shameful incident. Health Care Workers...why? Why didn't someone check him? Besides complain about the job, what else do you do for the patients? What is being done to facilitate change? They all ought to be ashamed of themselves. What an shameful, undignified system. I'm disgusted!


FrankCanadian
said
0 0

Try this.
Last April 4th I walked to the nearby Hull, QC, hospital after suffering a small heart attack. I mentioned the magic word "heart" and I was talking to a doctor while nurses were hooking me up to an ECG and talking blood.
A month ago, I was overcome with excruciating pain in my lower back. At the same hospital, after waiting two hours, I asked for something for the pain. I was told no chance.
I was also advised that people being seen at the moment had been waiting for 11 hours. Seeing as it was midnight and likely I wouldn't see a doctor until nine or 10 in the morning, I told the triage nurse I'd have a better go if I walked back home took some aspirin and were to my family doc first thing in the morning.
At the GP's she diagnosed a kidney stone within minutes and prescribed dilaudid which wasn't strong enough to quell the pain. However, more aspirin did the trick.
The point of this was that I was keep waiting because I didn't use the magic word and I wasn't messing up the furniture with gushing blood.
Some poor guy who didn't use the magic word and wasn't visibly injured had to wait in turn while those with the sniffles or a pulled muscle went ahead.
Now he's dead.
BTW: the kidney stone is 12 mm in diameter and has to blasted into small pieces with sound.



Alex
said
0 0

I can't believe that this would happen in Manitoba under an NDP government in power for several terms now. They have had years to fix the system yet it shows they are no better at it than Liberals or Conservatives. And what the hell are the doctors and nurses doing? What would happen if mass casualties came to that hospital? This is a homeless man to boot. This is a black eye for Manitoba and it makes me wonder about the wait times guarantee that Tony Clement was supposed to implement all across this country. Looks like that promise was a sham. We also need to hold that hospital accountable. The fact that funds may be short does not mean people should be left to die in waiting rooms. This is one of the most disgraceful things that can happen to someone, let alone in Canada. If the patient was Brad Pitt, he would be taken care of without delay! For shame.


Stephanie
said
0 0

Wow.....
How many different kinds of things can we blame on this tradgedy...
HealthCare System
Gov't
Doctors Nurses
Systems
Money

I know exactly why this poor man died....People...

The people working that night and the people in the waiting room. And you know who you are. The ones that walked by this man so many times, and never asked if he needed help. The ones who never informed the nurse that he was there.

What a society we live in that chooses to ignore another person because of how he appears.

That's how things get better people....when we make individual decisions to do so.

So blame or contribute, make your choice.

One single person could have saved his life.... think about that.


R/H
said
0 0

Way to go "Willy in Alberta".
You hit the nail right on the head. But apart from all the Political wrong doings, the reason that some of us go to the ER is because we do NOT HAVE A FAMILY DOCTOR and THERE IS NO WALK IN CLINIC IN OUR TOWN/CITY. I have waited 7 hours and the last time was around 4 hours. We have to wait or go home! What do all of you people suggest we do otherwise?


Lisa
said
0 0

I was always an optimist regarding our health care until recently. My husband has been suffering with a sore on the side of his foot which has spread to the upper foot. 5 visits to the medical profession incl. Dr., hospital, and specialist. Has anyone taken a swab? No. Tried different antibiotics and creams.. But they all agree that something is wrong?!... and nothing is working. Who do we turn to? Still waiting ...


stan
said
0 0

The "staff" not GOVERNMENT LET US DOWN and themselves down. CAN'T FIX THAT WITH MONEY. Private or Public

Whom ever wrote this is stretching it A LOT

I gues she forgot about the Fimon days and her Former Health Minister Darren Praznik


nbgirl
said
0 0

I went to the ER for a shoulder pain for the past 2 weeks. I saw the doc and gave me a prescription. I'm always careful with medication, and when I checked them online, it was an anti-depression pill that he prescribed to me...


PVT
said
0 0

I get a kick out of the hard-core, militant left-wing Liberal/NDP supporters who blame Harper and the Conservatives for this mess we call Health Care. Who gutted the system? Who ripped $25 billion out of Health care and for what?!? So they could boast about 'surpluses' during elections? It wasn't the Conservatives you maroons!!! We all know it was the Liberals who butchered Health Care in Canada and it won't be fixed in 2.5 years of minority Conservative rule.


Daly de Gagne
said
0 0

I read your story, and I read the comments. I work in health care, until recently at HSC, and both the comments and story sadden me. Of course the man's death shouldn't have happened, and people shouldn't fall through the cracks. My heart goes out to the man's family and friends.

But to reach some of the conclusions your readers have reached is ludicrous -- there is not enough information. We are quick to point fingers, but slow to stick with an issue, and offer something that would be a solution.

As one who has been involved with HSC for over 10 years, I want to go on record as saying that some of the very finest, highest calibre, most caring nurses, physicians, technicians, transplant teams, security staff, spiritual care givers, etc. that you will find anywhere are working their butts off 24/7 down on William Avenue in state of the art facilities.

They do care. They do take time with patients, as much as they can, given current staffing levels. Everyone is treated the same, whether they are from a high end suburb, homeless, or a gang member. I have been there -- I have seen it.

Daly de Gagne,
Winnipeg, MB


Lorraine, Montreal
said
0 0

Not surprised but I feel bad for him and his family and friends.Hopefully he did not suffer. Don't know about this hospital, but some hospitals' triage is of course behind closed doors. Oh, you have to be healthy enough to make your presence known!!One must take a number to be called to triage. Hmmm, did I miss the new definition of E.R.?


sasha
said
0 0

Our health system is failing mostly due to abuse. One by the professionals -- such as doctors who pad their income buy issuing unnecessary referrals and such... and abuse by the patients. There is nothing wrong with universal health care. It just needs some practical changes. Look to Europe for examples. One, a token fee for users, such as $5. This would cut down on the people who use the system as social system.
Two: actually dictate where and how many doctors work specific areas, instead of doctors setting up however they want. Doctors right now set up practice in the cities flooding the market,and because they do not secure "enough income", they start using referrals to subsidize. If they want to work as doctors then you go where the work is, the same as with every other professional.1

Dave
said
0 0

Two things here. First off, if nurses didn't "put a gun to tax payers' heads" every time they bargain we would be able to hire additional resources to manage triage better. Instead they always manage to gain public sympathy and get the lion's share of public purse dollars. Secondly, quit blaming gov't all the time. They're all the same. People need to start looking after themselves better so the system can handle the load. Self destructive lifestyles of booze, drugs and unprotected sex will inevitably lead to emergency visits or death on the street. The problem here is way bigger than finger pointing at one tax burdened system. Look at education, employment, social services and cultural differences.


G
said
0 0

First of all before giving soooo much money to third world countries to help them, help us Canadians first. Then help Third World Countries. We need to have a better Health Care System to replace of the crappy one we have.


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