Radio-Canada Acadie was able to confirm this information with internal sources within the healthcare facility.
According to these sources, one person went into cardiac arrest while in the emergency room waiting room. Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful and she died.
Acting CEO of Horizon Health Network Margaret Melanson addressed the incident in a written statement.
She says a patient came into the emergency room on Friday night and was examined before going to the waiting room.
The patient was then closely monitored by the on-site triage nurse and the nurse in charge of patient monitoring. In addition, his vital signs were measured regularly.
The entrance to Moncton Hospital
Photo: Radio Canada / Guy LeBlanc
Margaret Melanson goes on to say that early on Saturday morning the patient was showing serious symptoms. However, it is not specified how long he was in the waiting room.
The patient was then taken to the emergency room reserved for acute care, where Margaret Melanson said he died while being treated by clinicians.
Horizon’s interim CEO extends its condolences to the patient’s family and thanks the doctors and other staff for doing all they could under the circumstances.
Serious staff shortage
Last week, before the patient’s death, Horizon Health Network shared with the public that Moncton Hospital’s emergency room was facing a serious staffing shortage. [lors de la] Weekend from August 12th to 14th.
Horizon asked people to only come to the emergency room if their case was really urgent.
Urgent and critical cases would continue to be processed as quickly as possible, the network said at the time.
It is unclear whether the staff shortage had a direct impact on the care of this patient.
Minister expresses condolences
New Brunswick’s new health secretary — appointed after the death of another patient awaiting care at a New Brunswick hospital — has responded to the death.
Secretary of Health of New Brunswick Bruce Fitch (Files)
Photo: Radio Canada / Alix Villeneuve
Along with administrators, we are working with the health care network to resolve the issues affecting the health care system, Bruce Fitch said in a brief written statement Thursday afternoon.
The minister also expressed his condolences to the relatives of the deceased.
Three patients awaiting care die within weeks in NB
The death on Saturday morning came weeks after a patient was admitted to the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton.
This event prompted the provincial government to clean up the provincial health administration: the minister was replaced and the CEO of Horizon Health Network was fired.
Two weeks later, a person took his own life in the emergency room at Edmundston Regional Hospital.