Minister says fatality inquiry coming for man who died waiting in Edmonton hospital ER

By ZOE MASON on January 16, 2026.

zmason@medicinehatnews.com

Minister of Hospital and Surgical Services Matt Jones announced Thursday that the province is initiating a fatality inquiry into the Dec. 22 death of a 44-year-old man in the emergency room of an Edmonton hospital.

Prashant Sreekumar waited to see a doctor for chest pain for nearly eight hours at Grey Nuns Community Hospital, according to his family.

Jones announced the inquiry during a Thursday press conference featuring many of the province’s hospital leadership.

Jones told media that after reviewing the information available with clinical experts, he determined that a public, independent review was required, and asked the Minister of Justice to order a fatality inquiry.

“I have concerns and unanswered questions about the death of Mr. Sreekumar that need to be investigated further, and this is the highest level of public and transparent review possible, and so that’s why I’m calling for it.”

Jones says there is “no doubt” that system pressures were a contributing factor in Sreekumar’s death.

Despite multiple requests for elaboration, the minister did not expand on the nature of his remaining concerns.

“I am not in a position to explain to the public exactly why this happened,” he told reporters. “That is the job of the fatality inquiry. I think it would be inappropriate for me to speculate with incomplete information on what occurred, but I do believe, based on the information I reviewed to date, that it does warrant the escalation to a fatality inquiry.”

Patrick Dumelie, CEO of Covenant Health, the service provider that operates Grey Nuns, confirmed that two other individuals also died in the emergency room at that facility on Dec. 22.

While he said he was unable to speak to any individual case, he said all three individuals who died were actively being seen by health professionals at the time of their deaths.

12
-11