Quebec coroner to investigate death of St. Mary's ER patient

The Quebec coroner's office has ordered an inquest into the death of a patientwhowas unable to receive potentially life-saving surgery at Montreal's St. Mary's Hospital last November.

"We asked the corner to [open] an investigation to make the probable causes and circumstances clearer," said Genevive Guilbault, aspokeswoman forthe Quebec coroner's office.

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Mark Blandford, 73,had walked into the hospital's emergency room on Nov. 2 complaining of severe abdominal pain.

He became unconscious in the waiting room after he had been triaged, at which point hewas diagnosed with anabdominal aortic aneurysm or triple-A rupture.

Emergency room staff summoned the hospital'sveteran vascular surgeon, Dr. Carl Emond, who isqualified to perform that surgery.

Emond told themthat hospital administrators had forbidden him from doingthat procedure,as part of the reorganization of the hospital's services.

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The patient was transferred to the McGillUniversity Health Centre (MUHC) but died before undergoing the operation.

Guilbaultsaid the coroner's office had not been advised of the man's death in November, learning about the incident through media reports this week.

Guilbaultsaid the chief coroner has contacted the establishment, and Blandford'sdeath is now under investigation.

"The coroner will have to clarify the probable causes and circumstances of Mr. Blandford's death so she'll be examining whether the health reorganization might have had some impact on the chances of survival of the patient."

Guibault said the averageinvestigation takesabout 11 months to complete.