'I'm scared she's going to die': Family concerned over non-COVID-19 emergency treatment at St. Boniface Hospital
A medical emergency that sent one Winnipeg woman to the St. Boniface Hospital has left her family with concerns after they said she has now spent three days alone waiting for surgery, with no end in sight.
Kimberley Hanson was rushed to the emergency room Monday morning around 8 a.m. by her husband after experiencing chest pains.
“I'm worried that my mom is alone, scared. Nobody's allowed to see her,” said Stephanie Reinheimer, Hanson’s daughter.
The situation was worrisome for the family as Hanson had a history of heart issues and was soon going for consultation on possible bypass surgery.
Reinheimer said she had an EKG when she first arrived at the hospital and blood work was drawn, but that was really all that was done before seeing a doctor about 12 hours later.
The news was not good. One of her arteries was fully closed, three others were 90 per cent closed and surgery was required.
Reinheimer said surgery was supposed to happen the following day, but on Tuesday she said the family was informed the doctor was not available, so the procedure would have to wait until Wednesday.
They are still waiting.
“And after speaking with my mother today, she still has not seen the doctor or anything,” said Reinheimer. “I'm scared she's going to die before the surgery would happen.”
An added concern is the lack of visitation rights despite family members being fully vaccinated.
“To have somebody have to go through a quadruple bypass by themselves, and nobody's giving updates when we try to call and figure this out, it’s stressing me, it's stressing my dad out and stressing my mom out even more,” Reinheimer said.
To alleviate some of those stresses for families, Reinheimer said improved communications between hospital staff and patient families could go a long way.
“I think that is something that people need to understand that, you know, loved ones are sitting at home stressing just as much as the person who's in the hospital and stressing,” Reinheimer said.
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) tells CTV News it cannot comment publicly on individual cases, but strongly encourages anyone with a concern or questions about their care to contact patient relations.
While Reinheimer understands COVID-19 has strained the health-care system, she said something should be done to avoid priority patients, like those with heart issues, having to spend 12 hours in a waiting room before seeing a doctor.
“This should not be happening to people, especially the elderly, that’s majorly what I want to put out there that, you know, things need to change in the health system badly, especially here in Manitoba.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.