Edmonton, Canada – Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has publicly criticized Canada's healthcare system following the recent death of an Indian-origin man who reportedly waited over eight hours in an emergency room. Prashant Sreekumar, a 44-year-old accountant, died on December 22 at Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, after experiencing severe chest pain. His death has reignited concerns about long wait times and systemic issues within Canadian hospitals.
A Tragic Wait in Edmonton
Prashant Sreekumar arrived at Grey Nuns Hospital on December 22, complaining of intense chest pain. He was triaged and then directed to the waiting room, where he remained for more than eight hours. His father, Kumar Sreekumar, who joined him at the hospital, recalled his son repeatedly saying, "Papa, I cannot bear the pain." Prashant told both his father and hospital staff that his pain level was "a 15 out of 10." Hospital staff performed an electrocardiogram (ECG) and offered Tylenol for pain, but Prashant reportedly did not see a doctor during his prolonged wait. He collapsed and died of a suspected cardiac arrest just as he was finally being taken for emergency intervention.[timesnownews+8]
Prashant's wife, Niharika Sreekumar, has demanded accountability from the hospital, claiming negligence. Covenant Health, which operates Grey Nuns Hospital, expressed sympathy to the family but declined to comment on specific patient care details due to privacy. They confirmed the case is now before the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The Ministry of External Affairs in India has also acknowledged the case, urging the Canadian government to "take responsibility."[timesnownews+9]
Elon Musk's Sharp Critique
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X, weighed in on the incident on Friday, December 26, through a post on his social media platform, X. He directly criticized Canada's government-run healthcare system. Musk compared Canadian medical care to the United States Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), known for its inefficiencies.[timesnownews+6]
In his post, Musk wrote, "When the government does medical care, it is about as good as the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles).” He shared a video detailing Sreekumar's death, highlighting his concerns about public healthcare systems. Musk's comments quickly gained traction, adding a high-profile voice to the ongoing debate about healthcare access in Canada.[timesnownews+15]
Canada's Strained Emergency Rooms
The tragic death of Prashant Sreekumar underscores a persistent and worsening problem within Canada's healthcare system: excessively long emergency room wait times. Data from the Canadian Medical Association indicates that urgent patients face wait times ranging from 6.5 to 8.5 hours. Non-urgent admissions can wait over 22 hours. These delays often mean patients do not receive critical care within the "Golden Hour," a crucial period for treating serious illnesses or trauma to ensure the best chance of survival.[iedm+8]
Emergency rooms across the country are frequently operating beyond their capacity. Reports show some ERs in Quebec, for example, run at 120 percent capacity, with certain facilities reaching 200 percent. This overcrowding directly leads to dangerous wait times. Theproblem is so widespread that an estimated 500,000 patients nationwide leave emergency rooms without being seen by a doctor. In British Columbia alone, nearly 142,000 such cases were reported between 2024 and 2025.[centraltelegraph+7]
Systemic Challenges and Past Incidents
Canada's healthcare system faces deep-rooted systemic challenges contributing to these delays. A significant factor is the lack of access to primary care. Many Canadians cannot secure timely appointments with a family doctor, pushing them to seek care in already overburdened emergency departments for conditions that could be managed elsewhere. A 2023 survey revealed that only 26 percent of Canadians could get a same-day or next-day appointment with a primary care provider, a significant drop from 46 percent in 2016.[iedm+7]
Another major issue is a critical shortage of healthcare professionals, including physicians and nurses. According to OECD data, Canada has only 2.8 practicing physicians per 1,000 people, which falls below the OECD average of 3.8. A federal report from 2022 projected a shortfall of 78,000 doctors by 2031 and nearly 118,000 nurses by 2030. These staffing gaps, combined with an aging population and increased demand, place immense strain on existing resources.[cihi+10]
Prashant Sreekumar's death is not an isolated incident. In 2024, 16-year-old Finlay van der Werken died after waiting over eight hours in an Oakville, Ontario, emergency room for severe abdominal pain, eventually developing sepsis. In November of the current year, a patient died in a Winnipeg ER hallway after a 33-hour wait for a bed. Such tragedies highlight the severe consequences of an overwhelmed system. TheCanadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and the Commonwealth Fund survey consistently rank Canada "below average and bottom of the pack" among peer countries for timely access to care.[arcusgroup+6]
Calls for Accountability and Future Outlook
The family of Prashant Sreekumar continues to seek a transparent investigation and accountability for his death. Healthcare officials in Canada acknowledge the widespread nature of the problem. Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé admitted in November 2024 that the province was falling short on reducing ER wait times, stating it was a complex issue common across provinces.[news+2]
In response to the crisis, some hospitals are exploring innovative solutions. Sault Area Hospital in Ontario recently piloted a "Virtual Home Waiting Room" program, allowing patients with non-urgent complaints to wait at home. This initiative reportedly reduced overall wait times by 25 percent and decreased the number of patients leaving without being seen from 10 percent to 5.3 percent for low-acuity cases. While such measures offer some relief, experts stress the need for broader systemic changes. The ongoing public frustration and high-profile criticism from figures like Elon Musk underscore the urgent demand for comprehensive reforms to ensure timely and effective healthcare for all Canadians.[ca+3]
