Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has criticised Canada’s healthcare system following the death of an Indian-origin man who reportedly waited for more than eight hours for emergency treatment at a hospital in Edmonton. Musk compared government-run healthcare to the US Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), a department often criticised for inefficiency.
Musk reacted on X (formerly Twitter) while quoting a post that claimed the victim’s wife was told she was being rude after her husband died while waiting in the emergency room with severe chest pain. “When the government does medical care, it is about as good as the DMV,” Musk wrote.
The incident involved 44-year-old Prashant Sreekumar, a father of three, who collapsed after experiencing sharp chest pain at work earlier this week. He was taken to Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton, where he was allegedly asked to wait for several hours before being seen by a doctor. Reports state that he died while still waiting for emergency care.
According to family members, Sreekumar had described his pain as unbearable. His death has sparked outrage online, with many questioning delays and accountability within Canada’s healthcare system.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also responded to the incident. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that Sreekumar was a Canadian national of Indian origin and said the Canadian government should take responsibility. Calling it an unfortunate incident, the MEA expressed condolences to the family and said India’s consulate is coordinating with local authorities and providing all possible assistance.
The case has renewed debate over patient wait times, emergency care delays, and the overall strain on public healthcare systems in Canada.
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