The death of a patient in a Fredericton hospital’s emergency department waiting room this week is prompting calls for major improvements to the province’s health care system. John Staples, a residential support worker, witnessed the incident early Tuesday morning as he waited with a client at Dr. Everett Chalmers and posted details on social media. He said the man appeared to be in a lot of pain and discomfort as he waited for hours in a wheelchair, but eventually appeared to fall asleep. “The ER employee came out to check on people and checked on him,” Staples said in an interview Wednesday. “He went back to the ER very professionally, so as not to raise any alarm, and came back with a few other people. They wheeled him back and as they did, they called him Code Blue,” he said, referring to the hospital’s code for cardiac or respiratory arrest. “Unfortunately the gentleman died there with us. He was literally on the doorstep of medical care and he didn’t get it.” Staples said he doesn’t blame the busy ER staff, but believes something is wrong with the health care system and changes are needed. “I think there needs to be a very long, hard look at what we’ve had in 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 time,” he said. Opposition Liberals responded to the patient’s death by calling for the resignation of Health Minister Dorothy Shepard and funding to hire more hospital staff. “Unfortunately, given the incompetence of the Higgs government and the health minister in particular to address the dire health care crisis in this province, this dire outcome was a very real possibility,” said Liberal health critic Jean-Claude D’Amour. . statement on Wednesday. “Prime Minister Higgs needs to stop whining at the federal government, demand his health minister resign and get on with saving the health care system before it’s too late,” D’Amour said. Higgs was in Victoria this week, where Canada’s premiers invited the federal government to discuss the future of health care funding. Shephard issued a statement saying she is saddened and concerned about the patient’s death, adding that she has requested a review of the incident. “I have no doubt that every New Brunswicker and every health care worker is 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,” Shephard said. Dr. John Dornan, president of Horizon Health Network, which oversees the hospital, issued a statement to confirm the unexpected death of a patient and said a review process had begun. Staples’ Facebook post describing the incident drew a lot of comments. “People shouldn’t die waiting to be seen,” one person wrote. “To the superiors, Wake up!! This is Canada!” Another said: “This is not a current government problem. This is a problem that has been on the shoulders of every elected politician in this province for the last 25 years. The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
