A patient died while waiting for care at the Health Sciences Centre's emergency department in Winnipeg early Tuesday morning. This unfortunate incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by emergency medical services, particularly during peak demand periods.
The patient, classified as low-acuity, had been on track to wait 10 hours or longer before receiving attention. Ultimately, they waited eight hours before succumbing to their condition. On Tuesday morning, the emergency department was "well over capacity," with approximately 50 patients in the waiting room, underscoring the immense pressure on hospital resources.
Dr. Shawn Young, a physician at the hospital, acknowledged the situation, stating, "We did have a number of high-acuity patients at that time." The emergency department had only 21 nurses on duty, slightly below the baseline of 24 to 25 staff members typically required to manage such demand. However, hospital officials confirmed that staffing levels were not a contributing factor to the patient's death.
The emergency department was heavily burdened that night, with all six resuscitation beds occupied. The hospital has initiated an investigation into the incident, which will include interviews with staff members, assessments of current protocols, and reviews of security footage. This inquiry aims to provide clarity on what occurred during the patient’s extended wait for care.
Dr. Young also noted that the arrival of cold weather played a role in the influx of patients seeking shelter and safety. "When we see cold weather like this, we do have a number of patients that come in seeking shelter and safety as well, and that was a factor … in the waiting room as well," he explained.
The median wait time in the emergency department for November was recorded at 3.8 hours, but troublingly, around ten percent of patients experienced waits exceeding 13 hours. This incident raises serious concerns about patient care and hospital capacity during peak times.
"We were really struggling with throughput out of the hospital over the last 24 hours," Dr. Young added. The hospital anticipates that the investigation will take a few days to complete, and it hopes to uncover insights that may prevent similar tragedies in the future.
