Recommendations made following review into Edmonton emergency room death - Edmonton | Globalnews.ca

Acute Care Alberta (ACA) has made 16 recommendations tied to the death of 44-year-old Prashant Shreekumar, who died while waiting for care at Edmonton’s Grey Nuns Community Hospital. More staff and more accountability were highlighted in the recommendations stemming from Shreekumar’s death. He went to the Grey Nuns emergency department in December complaining of chest pains and died after waiting eight hours to see a doctor.The recommendations looked at vulnerabilities in the health-care system, such as prolonged wait times in the emergency department, overcrowding, and clinical decision support.They included:Local site administration to increase staffing in the emergency department, specifically 24/7 coverage of electrocardiogram technicians and the conversion of existing temporary nursing positions to permanent positions in order to stabilize staffing and provide support to waiting room and triage areasSite administration to continue with implementation of previous plans to expand the site ED, which will result in transition of temporary hallway spaces to dedicated, purpose built clinical environmentsBoth these recommendations are dependent on securing capital and permanent operational funding, according to the ACA. Story continues below advertisement An accountability framework was also recommended to look at clear performance measures. This includes the time from arrival at the emergency department to getting care, the time it takes to see an emergency room doctor, and the time to consult/discharge. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Get Started By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Varinder Bhullar, spokesperson for the Shreekumar family, said while the recommendations focus on capacity issues, the lack of any concrete deadlines or funding for the recommendations is concerning. More on Health More videos Edmonton woman desperate for kidney donation turns to the community for help on World Kidney Day Europe sees decline in bird flu case detections, report finds Manitoba government plans steps toward reducing nurse overtime, improving care Edmonton team allows Alberta lung patient to receive care closer to home Visually impaired artist showcases accessible art at Lakefield gallery New Brunswick government makes deal with doctors to help with staff retention and recruitment WHO warns of deepening health crisis across Middle East World Kidney Day “This budget has already passed, so do we have to wait for the next year’s budget? Or will they have some interim budget to address those issues and concerns?” Bhullar told Global News.The review was also dated Jan. 14 of this year, raising questions on why it took almost two months to be made public.“If the report sat on someone’s desk for two months, that’s very, I would say, unethical.” Bhullar said. “Is it the same report? Or has the report been changed over the two months?”Global News has reached out the Matt Jones, Minister for Hospitals and Surgical Health Services for comment on the recommendations and to clarify the timeline of the report.The full list of recommendations can be found here.