Patient dies in waiting room of Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre

Wait time at ER posted as 8.25 hours at 10 a.m. Tuesday

Ian Froese · CBC News · Posted: Jan 07, 2025 1:08 PM EST | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

A patient died Tuesday morning while waiting for care at Health Sciences Centre's emergency department in Winnipeg. (Trevor Brine/CBC)

A patient died while waiting for care at Health Sciences Centre's emergency department in Winnipeg Tuesday morning.

The hospital is investigating the death, a Shared Health spokesperson told CBC News. Shared Health co-ordinates health-care delivery in the province and is responsible for operations at HSC.

Dr. Shawn Young, chief operating officer of the Health Sciences Centre, said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that a middle-aged man arrived at the emergency room, seeking care. 

Just before 8 a.m., staff noticed his condition had significantly worsened. He was taken to the resuscitation room, and declared dead shortly after.

Young said the man had been ruled a low-acuity patient, and would have had to wait about 10 hours or longer before being seen that night. More than 100 patients were in the emergency department.

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