Patient in Canada waits over 12 hours in hospital emergency room: ‘I’d rather pay’
In 2024-2025, there were more than 16.1 million unscheduled emergency department visits in Canada’s hospitals, an increase from about 15.5 million the year before, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
Among those patients who were admitted into the hospital from the emergency department, nine out of 10 of the ED visits were completed within 48-½ hours, the above source stated. For those who were not admitted, nine out of 10 were completed within around eight hours.
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Median wait times vary widely by province, CIHI stated.
Some of the main factors contributing to the extended wait times include staff and bed shortages, hospital flow issues (due to lack of primary care access), and overcrowding that leads to system stress, according to the Canadian Medical Association.
“The healthcare system is overworked right now, and these doctors are probably exhausted,” Gushue said. (iStock)
Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency room doctor in Edmonton, recently shared with the Calgary Journal that he sometimes sees more than 100 people in the waiting room of his hospital, which only has 30 chairs.
“People who can stand, stand. Some are on the ground, and we’re hoping they’re alive,” he said. “And you walk by this carnage, and then you start your day.”
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The doctor added that some patients wait all night to receive care. “What used to be a mass casualty event is now the new norm,” he said, per the report.
Another ER physician, Dr. Michael Howlett, who is president of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, also shared his concerns about the situation.
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“I’ve worked in emergency departments since 1987, and it’s by far the worst it’s ever been. It’s not even close,” he told CityNews, a Canadian news outlet.
“We’ve got people dying in waiting rooms because we don’t have a place to put them,” he went on. “People being resuscitated on an ambulance stretcher or a floor. Those things have happened.”
Canada has a universal healthcare system that is funded through taxes, according to the government’s website. (iStock)
In January, Alberta’s minister of hospitals announced an investigation into the death of a 44-year-old man who died after waiting nearly eight hours in an Edmonton emergency department with chest pain, according to local reports.
A system review has since been completed by Acute Care Alberta, identifying emergency department overcrowding and triage challenges. The review issued multiple recommendations to prevent similar incidents, though a formal investigation into the death remains ongoing.
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The government also announced new triage liaison physician roles in major hospitals, as physicians report continued overcrowding and capacity issues.
Fox News Digital reached out to Nova Scotia Health and Canada Health requesting comment.
Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/patient-canada-waits-over-12-hours-hospital-emergency-room-id-rather-pay