Findings about ER death that provoked Moncton protest may not be made public

The New Brunswick health minister says he sympathizes with those who rallied outside the Moncton Hospital on the weekend after a local man died at the emergency department waiting for care, but neither Bruce Fitch nor the Horizon Health Network are shedding any more light on what happened that night.

New Brunswickers may never know what exactly happened to the husband and father of five, who was triaged as an emergency priority Tuesday night, when the ER was in a "critical overcapacity state."

He allegedly told staff numerous times he believed he was dying, and ultimately did die after waiting some six hours to see a doctor or nurse.

A Horizon review is underway, but the results and any recommendations won't necessarily be made public.

Horizon directed CBC inquiries to the Department Health.

The department, meanwhile, redirected inquiries back to Horizon.

"The reviews are managed by the Horizon Health Network. You should ask them about the status of those reviews," spokesperson Adam Bowie said in an email.

The minister was unavailable for an interview Monday, but said in an emailed statement he was "made aware of the incident," and knows Horizon is "looking into what happened."

Fitch offered condolences to the family and friends of the individual who died, identified by members of the Moncton Muslim Association with his family's permission by the initials MS only, to protect their privacy.

"I share the desire of those who gathered outside the hospital this weekend to see improved access to health-care services," Fitch said.

"We know there are challenges in the health-care system — serious challenges here at home, and across the country, and around the globe — arising from the ongoing shortage of physicians and nurses and other frontline health professionals.

Fitch said he believes the provincial health plan is a roadmap to better service.

"We all deserve access to quality health-care services, and we're working to improve things every day."

MS, a former kidney transplant patient, underwent a medical procedure last Monday and was instructed to return to the ER immediately if he had back or chest pain, according to the Muslim Association. He went to the ER the next day with severe back and chest pain and was told to take a seat in the waiting room at around 10 p.m.