Nova Scotia woman dies after 7-hour delay in ER

A Nova Scotia woman was left devastated after her mother-in-law died after a seven-hour wait at the emergency room.

What has now become a medical emergency in Nova Scotia, as emergency rooms are burdened with patients, causing wait times to be unreasonably delayed.

Katherine Snow spoke about how the medical system failed her mother-in-law.

"I did not think I would be sitting in this chair yesterday morning, advocating potentially for better health care," she said.

"But I’ll do it for my mother-in-law, and I’ll do it for my daughter who is missing her nan."

Katherine shared that her in-law Charlene went to Cape Breton Regional Hospital with "intense jaw pain" and flu-like symptoms.

She went on to share that Charlene was ill for days and hearing about busy hospitals and extortionate wait times, she delayed her visit to the hospital and "mustered up the energy to go" when the pain was unbearable.

"We stayed in frequent touch with her because she was in there by herself. My husband offered to come in and sit with her… But she said it was so full that there weren’t any seats for anyone to sit down and keep her company," she said.

"It just became too uncomfortable for her,

"She decided that she would leave and try her luck at the local outpatient clinic the next morning."

However, Charlene never made it as her heart stopped just an hour after leaving the emergency room.

"We definitely experienced shock and then sadness. And now I think… we’re definitely in the in the part where we’re angry."

"We just want to know what happened,

"It would be reassuring for us if we knew that everything was done that could have been done. And if not, we want to know why things weren’t done that could have been done.

"It’s a big part of the grieving process for us because it was so sudden."

The hospital confirmed that they will conduct a formal investigation.

"There is now a formal investigation to determine what happened. The results of the investigation will be shared with the family when complete and the recommendations from the investigation will be acted on," the statement read.

"I know firsthand that we have very skilled healthcare professionals that work in our emergency departments and across the healthcare system that work tirelessly to provide Nova Scotians the care they need and deserve,

"I know the healthcare system has been under immense pressure for some time, including the wait times in emergency departments. I want Nova Scotians to know we are committed to getting answers. Despite the pressure, I am urging Nova Scotians: please continue to seek care when you need it."