Family to sue after man dies in hospital waiting area

The family of a disabled Winnipeg man who died last fall waiting for treatment in a hospitalemergency room say they plan to sue the hospital and regional health authority for negligence.

Brian Sinclair, 45, died last September after waiting 34 hours at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre emergency room without receiving treatment for a bladder infection.

Manitoba's Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Thambirajah Balachandra, has called an inquest into the death, noting Sinclair was seen on closed circuit video speaking to uniformed staff at the emergency ward.

That information contradicts what health officials had originally maintained about Sinclair that had not spoken with any officials and was not triaged in the waiting area of the emergency room.

His cousin, Robert Sinclair, told CBC News Monday that the family welcomes an inquest.

"I'm glad they're gonna hold somebody accountable for what went down there," Sinclair said. "That's the whole purpose [behind the lawsuit]."

He said he never believed his cousin was the cause of his own demise. "Brian did the right thing, he went to triage."

Meanwhile, opposition politicians have called for the resignation of Manitoba's health minister in the wake of the new revelations about Sinclair's death.

Manitoba's Opposition Leader Hugh McFayden called for Health Minister Theresa Oswald's resignation in light of the latest revelations.

"The minister, not once, not twice, but seven times went out and misled the media, the public and the legislature about what had taken place," McFayden said. "She said that this was somebody that was not known to be in need of help, that he was never triaged ... obviously those statements were false."

Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard said not only should the minister resign, but Winnipeg Regional Health Authority executives Dr. Brian Postl and Dr. Brock Wright should go as well.

Gerrard said the health authority botched its investigation into what happened to Sinclair.

A government spokesperson has denied officials misled anyone and charges the opposition with politicizing a tragic event. Neither the health minister nor Premier Gary Doer could be reached for comment.