EDMONTON — The Alberta Medical Association says another patient has died while waiting for care at a hospital, as the province’s health agency investigates the case.
AMA President Dr. Brian Wirzba says the man arrived at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital on May 8 and died several hours later.
“He received some initial therapy in the emergency room but because there were no stretcher spaces inside the emergency department, he was left in waiting room,” Wirzba said in a Saturday phone interview.
“This is another tragic event … We extend our condolences to the patient’s family and loved ones. And, you know, these things are never easy for front-line staff … There’s a significant moral distress that comes from working in that environment on a regular basis.”
Alberta Health Services says it is investigating and it can’t release further details due to privacy reasons.
“AHS takes situations like this seriously and is committed to providing a safe environment that supports high-quality care,” the agency said in an email.
“AHS has undertaken an initial investigation and a Quality Assurance Review will be conducted.”
The man is among several patients who’ve died while waiting for care across Alberta’s hospitals in recent months.
Late last year, Prashant Sreekumar, who was 44, died at Edmonton’s Grey Nuns Community Hospital after waiting nearly eight hours.
Then earlier this year, Dr. Paul Parks, president-elect of the Alberta Medical Association’s section of emergency medicine, sent a letter to Alberta’s government detailing examples of another six deaths in hospitals over the span of two weeks in January. The letter also listed 30 cases that nearly ended in a death.
The letter pinned most of the deaths — and what doctors call “near misses” — to the fact that Alberta’s hospitals are clogged.
Alberta’s government ordered a judge-led inquiry into Sreekumar’s death in January, and also announced it was creating a program in which physicians would help triage patients.
Wirzba said Sunday the triage program, which would operate across six to eight major hospitals in Alberta, is still not in place.
“There has been significant delay in some of the details around describing the position and arranging appropriate contracts for the positions,” Wirzba said.
“We have continued to work with government on this on a very regular basis and, as recently as last week, also have been advised that … the team on the government side is reviewing some of the latest information that we’ve provided.”
He said he expects the AMA and the government to come to a resolution in June. Then a call-out for physicians who can make time in their busy schedules to sign on to the program will be issued.
“This entire process has taken far longer than we anticipated,” Wirzba said.
And it is also one of several resolutions needed, he added, to solve the problem of overcrowded Alberta hospitals.
“The emergency departments are under significant pressure,” he said.
“Solutions for this do require all stakeholders, governments, hospitals, care agencies, to work together to try and address the multitude of challenges that lead to the backlog.”
He said, for example, governments need to create social programs for patients being discharged.
“Patients need to get out to more appropriate places in the community, they need stable housing, social work to see them, addiction treatments … Those types of services need to be more readily available,” he said.
“All of those need to be improved in order to improve the flow through the emergency room.”
He said the latest death shouldn’t deter Albertans from going to the ER.
“Despite these tragic events, the vast majority of patients get care.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2026.
Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press
