Alberta doctors have sounded a dire alarm, compiling a confidential document that catalogs a series of preventable deaths and near misses in emergency departments across the province. The report, obtained by Postmedia, was shared with the provincial government to illustrate a systemic crisis, not isolated incidents.
A Plea for Help After a Tragic Death
The document was created in the wake of the death of 44-year-old Prashant Sreekumar on December 22. Sreekumar died at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton more than eight hours after arriving at the emergency department with chest pains. Less than two weeks later, physicians with the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) anonymously submitted cases to demonstrate the severity of the situation.
Dr. Paul Parks, the AMA's president-elect of emergency medicine and the physician behind the document, stated it was shared with senior leadership, including Premier Danielle Smith and Health Minister Matt Jones. "It was intended to try to really impress upon the government that point, but also to plead for some help (and) get them to share our urgency," Parks said.
The Scale of the Crisis: Deaths and Daily Danger
The report identifies six deaths as preventable and documents more than 30 "near misses"—cases where patients narrowly avoided severe harm or death. Dr. Parks emphasized that doctors are witnessing such events "almost daily" due to severe emergency room overcrowding, arguing that Sreekumar's tragedy was not an anomaly.
In response to mounting pressure, Minister Jones announced on Thursday that the province would implement a triage liaison physician at Alberta's six busiest ERs. However, Dr. Parks criticized this measure as insufficient, likening it to putting a "band-aid over a gaping wound." He also noted that, at the time of reporting, Minister Jones had not responded to the distribution of the doctors' document.
Government Response and Systemic Strain
In a statement, Kyle Warner, a press secretary for the ministry, said the government could not comment on "unverified anonymized patient information" for privacy reasons but affirmed they take all patient outcome information seriously. Warner stated that Minister Jones has sought a meeting with the AMA and Acute Care Alberta to discuss solutions.
"(Jones) wants to ensure a shared understanding that the system is under exceptional strain, is responding as it has in past years, and requires additional resources beyond flu season," Warner said, adding that the government is working on long-term capacity expansion.
The doctors' report underscores a critical and ongoing failure in Alberta's acute care system, highlighting human costs behind the statistics of overcrowding and strained resources. It represents a stark warning from frontline medical professionals about the urgent need for substantive intervention.
