A woman from Newfoundland and Labrador is demanding an investigation following the death of her husband while awaiting care at Carbonear General Hospital’s emergency department.
Robert Power suffered a cardiac arrest on March 10, 2025, after a prolonged wait.
A former miner with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Power sought medical attention due to breathing difficulties, accompanied by his wife, Betty Lou Power.
“He was assessed and left in the waiting area where we spent ten-and-a-half hours,” she recounted. “He suffered a massive heart attack and passed away in a chair in the waiting room.”
Although medical personnel managed to restart Power’s heart through cardiopulmonary resuscitation, he never regained consciousness and was later taken off life support in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Betty Lou Power reached out to CBC News after a St. John’s physician’s warning about potential fatalities while patients wait for care in emergency departments.
“I wanted to clarify the truth. It has already happened in Newfoundland,” she emphasized.
Betty Lou Power’s husband, Robert Power, died at the Carbonear General Hospital in March 2025. He was waiting to be seen in the emergency room. Now, Power is calling for an inquiry. She says Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services was negligent. The CBC’s Mark Quinn reports.
In January, the government of Alberta announced an inquiry into the death of a man at an emergency department in Edmonton.
Power is advocating for an inquiry into her husband’s death as well.
“I seek fairness and accountability for my husband,” she stated.
“Had he received timely attention or been provided with oxygen while waiting, I might not be here today recount