Medical Malpractice Claim Filed After Hospital Waiting Room Death
Man Dies In Hospital Waiting Room
The family of an aboriginal man found dead after spending 34 hours in an emergency department says it will sue a Winnipeg hospital, medical staff, the regional health authority and the Manitoba government.
Brian Sinclair, a 45-year-old double amputee with a speech problem, was found dead in his wheelchair in the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre’s E. R. after spending 34 hours in the hospital’s waiting room.
Death Could Have Been Prevented
An autopsy performed shortly after his death by the province’s Chief Medical Examiner determined Sinclair died of a blood infection. Dr. Thambirajah Balachandra, said Sinclair’s death could have been prevented if the blood infection had been treated.
Sinclair’s family is now considering a lawsuit against the Hospital and the Health Authority.
Wait Times a Potentially Deadly Problem
Emergency Room wait times are a constant and growing problem in hospitals across the country. For example see Sick, Injured Patients Flood Halifax Emergency Rooms where the CBC reported that Dr. John Ross, Head of the Emergency Department at the QEII Health Sciences Centre , the province’s largest E.R., declared a “code orange” for about an hour, as patients lined the corridors and others waited outside in ambulances because of a lack of suitable hospital beds.
Dr. Ross has since tendered his resignation from Capital Heath.
Delays Increase Costs Decrease Quality of Care
An article published in July in the BMC Emergency Medical Journal confirmed that Emergency Department delays contributed to increased health care costs and decreased quality of care.
There are many reasons for Emergency Room delays. The solutions are not simple. However, as long as Emergency wait times continue to increase, patient care is going to suffer.
What do you think can be done to decrease wait times? Let me know what you think in the comments.
If you or a loved one have suffered injuries that you think may be due to medical malpractice you can buy a copy of my book: The Consumer’s Guide to Medical Malpractice Claims in Canada: Why 98% of Canadian Medical Malpractice Victims Never Receive a Penny in Compensation on Amazon.
Or you can contact me through this blog or by calling us toll free in Atlantic Canada 1-877-423-2050 and we will send you a copy, free of charge, anywhere in the Maritimes.
