Long Wait Times Aren’t Abstract Statistics — They’re Costing Lives
Long wait times in Canada’s healthcare system are often discussed in reports and policy briefings, but recent cases in Alberta and British Columbia underscore a more troubling reality: delays in care are contributing to preventable harm and loss of life.
These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a system under sustained strain.
A Fatal Delay in an Edmonton Emergency Room
In Alberta, the province has ordered a fatality inquiry into the death of Prashant Sreekumar, a man who died after waiting approximately eight hours in an Edmonton emergency room while experiencing chest pain. The case has raised serious questions about emergency department overcrowding, patient flow, and the ability of staff to identify and prioritize high-risk cases in real time Alberta orders fatality inquiry….
Hospital overcrowding, driven in part by high occupancy rates and patients remaining in acute care beds while waiting for long-term or home care, has left emergency departments operating in a reactive mode. When systems are overwhelmed, even experienced clinicians are forced to make decisions with limited visibility and time.
Missed Tests and Delayed Diagnosis in B.C.
In British Columbia, Sara Gillooly, a 40-year-old mother, has spoken publicly about how delays and missed diagnostic tests led to a terminal cancer diagnosis. After being labeled “low priority,” she waited months for follow-up imaging and specialist care—only to later learn her cancer had metastasized to her bones and lungs BC cancer patient says system l….
Her case highlights another systemic issue: fragmented coordination and inconsistent triage, where patients who don’t fit obvious high-risk categories can fall through the cracks, even while actively advocating for their own care.
As Ms. Gillooly stated publicly, she now lives with the question of whether earlier testing and faster access could have changed her outcome.
The Common Thread: Systemic Delay
While these cases occurred in different provinces and clinical settings, they share common failure points:
- Long wait times caused by overcrowding and inefficient patient flow
- Reactive decision-making instead of proactive planning
- Limited visibility into patient risk escalation
- Fragmented systems that slow coordination across providers
These are structural problems, not individual failures—and they require structural solutions.
Why Better Systems Matter
Research cited in the Alberta case points to the growing role of predictive analytics and AI-assisted planning to help healthcare systems move from reactive crisis management to proactive care coordination. Forecasting patient surges, improving triage prioritization, and giving providers earlier signals can help reduce bottlenecks before they become dangerous Alberta orders fatality inquiry….
Technology alone won’t fix healthcare—but better infrastructure can support better decisions.
Where VCMx Is Headed
At VCMx, we believe these tragedies reinforce the need for smarter, more connected healthcare infrastructure in Canada. Our upcoming MVP work focuses on:
- Improving triage and scheduling visibility
- Supporting better coordination between patients and providers
- Reducing administrative friction that slows care delivery
Our early prototypes demonstrate how patient and provider workflows can be simplified and better aligned—while remaining compliant, secure, and human-centered.
A Call to Build Something Better
Cases like these are a call to action. Canada’s healthcare system needs tools that help clinicians see risk sooner, coordinate faster, and spend less time navigating fragmented processes.
We are actively engaging with investors and partners who believe long wait times are not inevitable—and that technology, applied responsibly, can help prevent future tragedies.
📩 Interested in supporting this work or learning more?
Contact darhl@vcmx.ca to start the conversation.
