Image: Tara Clow

A man’s death in the Moncton Hospital Emergency Room has sparked outrage.

In a news release, the Greater Moncton Muslim Association identified him as MS, to protect the identity of his family.

“Our dearest brother MS, pillar of the Moncton Muslim community, loving husband and father of five children ranging from 2 to 24 years old recently passed away at the Moncton Hospital after waiting 6 hours to see a nurse or a doctor. This is a major loss to our community, is felt by all of us and causes us to ache in our bones. MS was amongst those with the cleanest of hearts, he was a soft-spoken family man, and was always known to smile. He was loved by everyone.  MS was a former kidney transplant patient. He recently had a medical procedure and was given strict written instructions to return to the hospital ER immediately if he had back or chest pain. A person in conditions such as this must be treated promptly. A mere day after his procedure, he was reported to the ER with severe chest and back pain. After checking in, he was told to take a seat in the waiting room at around 10 p.m. on November 22nd. Brother MS had some quick scans done just before 12 am and was sent back to the ER waiting room. By 3:30 am, he would be deceased, not having had a meaningful interaction with a doctor or nurse until collapsing in the emergency waiting room. Witnesses report that over his stay he told hospital staff numerous times that he believed he was dying,” the news release stated.

Association president Abdal Khan says our failing healthcare system needs to be fixed.

“We need to fix it for all Canadians. We want everyone to join us and raise their voice to save the healthcare system. Enough is enough. I think at some point we need to stand up.  The government and hospitals need to do something about it,” Khan says.

A peaceful rally was held in front of The Moncton Hospital on Saturday with up to 200 people in attendance.

“MS was a very sweet guy, a family man with five kids and always taking care of his family. He was very kind and very supportive. and a big-time volunteer, not only in the Muslim community but also in general. He worked with different nonprofit organizations and charitable organizations. I always saw him at events and the mosque and he was always smiling. It’s a big loss for our community and the community of Moncton in general,” Khan says.

The Association adds, “We find this entire situation grossly unacceptable and demand that relevant health and government bodies conduct a full and complete investigation into the status of Emergency Care in this province. All of our sons, daughters, parents and siblings deserve prompt care, respect and dignity – not plastic waiting room seats and dying alone.
People are dying. Enough is enough. It’s time to fix the issue.”

Khan says the Association held a meeting with Hospital management and has provided a list of recommendations.  He says the hope is to schedule a meeting with the provincial government in the near future.