Six hours in ER, no help, then death

Malaysia Sun Saturday 13th December, 2003

The death of a woman from heart failure after waiting six hours in a Canadian hospital -- without seeing a doctor -- is prompting calls for an inquiry.

Manitoba's chief medical examiner says he may call an inquest as early as next week into the death of Dorothy Madden, the elderly Winnipeg woman who died of heart failure after waiting six hours to see a doctor, the Winnipeg Sun reported Saturday.

Madden went by ambulance to St. Boniface General Hospital on Sept. 25 after three episodes of chest pain earlier that day.

The widow and grandmother of four waited in the emergency room for about five hours, then was moved to an exam room. About an hour later -- before seeing a doctor -- she went into cardiac arrest and died.

Dr. Thambirajah Balachandra, the province's chief medical examiner, said he wants to see changes in the way emergency rooms are operated to avoid a repeat situation.

Now we know there's a problem; we have to solve it, he said.