Edmonton ER death strikes fear in Medicine Hat man waiting for neurosurgical evaluation

Kim Johnston, a well-known Medicine Hat radio host, has been trying to get a neurosurgical evaluation.

At one point this past weekend, while most of us were enjoying the space between Christmas and New Year’s, Kim Johnston found himself staring at a screen.

He hit “post” and fired off his desperate message into the internet ether.

“I’ve been turned away from ERs (as recent as 12/26) and I’m warning @ABDanielleSmith, @real_jtwright, @AdrianaLaGrange, @mattjonesYYC what happened at Grey Nuns in Edmonton will happen to me next.”

Johnston, a well-known Medicine Hat radio host, has been struggling to get a neurosurgical evaluation.

He posted the above to the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) on Dec. 28.

He was referring to Prashanth Sreekumar, who died of an apparent cardiac arrest while waiting in an Edmonton emergency department on Dec. 22.

Sreekumar’s story doesn’t sit well with Johnston at all.

The provincial government is looking into it.

Johnston continues his own wait to be seen, which is now at more than 90 days.

He stepped away from the mic after an MRI in October found an arachnoid cyst pressing on his trigeminal motor nerve—the nerve meant to control jaw movement and speech.

His brain also has difficulty communicating with his muscles.

And vision in his left eye is starting to go.

“My condition is unfortunately deteriorating,” he told CTV News Calgary.

“Every day those muscles don’t get the signal from the brain, you’re one step further away from any hope.

Johnston has made several trips to the ER at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, including on Boxing Day.

“The emergency room was absolutely packed—I couldn’t wait in an ER any longer, so again, no treatment in the emergency room,” said Johnston.

“Ninety days is unacceptable, and I fear I am beyond the point of returning to normal life.”

Urgent neurology referral criteria from the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary state adults with new or progressive bulbar symptoms (including difficulty speaking or swallowing) or progressive focal neurological deficits “should receive an urgent neurology assessment within five business days.”

“Somebody who has progressive neurological symptoms like Kim does needs to see somebody fairly quickly and needs to get this sorted out,” said the school’s former dean, Dr. Jon Meddings.

“It’s ridiculous to have somebody wait that long. I mean, how in the world could you think that is proper care?”

Johnston at last is set to receive a neurosurgical evaluation at Foothills Medical Centre’s neuroscience department on Jan. 23, 2026.

Province issues statement

CTV News Calgary reached out to the provincial government regarding patients awaiting neurosurgical assessment and received a statement back from Acute Care Alberta.

“We are actively working to shorten surgery wait times in the province and to enhance access to care, no matter where in the province patients live,” the statement read.

“Wait times for surgeries vary depending on the surgery, as procedure complexity can vary.

“Wait times for scheduled surgery start at the point in time when the surgeon and patient make the decision that surgery is appropriate and the patient is medically, functionally and socially ready to proceed to surgery.”

The statement says a patient is placed into the queue based on a surgeon’s assessment of whether that patient is considered “emergent, urgent or non-urgent.”

“The suggested wait time is used to help prioritize patients on a surgeon’s waitlist,” the statement read.

“The waitlist is only one tool used when scheduling patients.

“Other information used in scheduling decisions includes cancer designation, inpatient bed availability, surgical equipment availability and estimated operating room time (maximize utilization).”

The statement says the most specialized services “are often in Calgary or Edmonton.”

“We recognize this distance can be an issue for patients from more rural or regional communities, and this is a focus for improvement for Acute Care Alberta,” the statement read.

“It’s important to note referrals are managed based on a patient’s medical needs, regardless of where they live.

“We encourage patients to connect with their referring provider when they experience changes in their condition so they can update the referral and follow up on the patient’s care.”

Acute Care Alberta says it cannot comment on specific cases for the sake of privacy.

“We empathize with Albertans experiencing delays and are working to address these issues,” the statement read.

“We remain committed to ensuring timely, high-quality surgical care for all Albertans.”