Sault man battling cancer spent days in hospital hallway

A 94-year-old cancer patient spent more than 3 days waiting in a hospital hallway. His son says the experience broke his father. Cory Nordstorm has their story.

A Sault Ste. Marie man says his family is upset after his 94-year-old father – who is battling cancer -- spent days in a hospital hallway.

Walter Chikoski was admitted to Sault Area Hospital last Monday morning -- and spent more than three days waiting for a room in a hallway.

His son, Mike, told CTV News that he is up in arms over the experience.

“I know it broke him because,” Mike said.

“He did come out and he said, ‘Just let me die, you know.’ And you don’t want to hear your father say that.”

Released at the beginning of the week, Walter was suffering from a urinary tract infection. He said that the experience felt like it lasted for weeks.

“I said ‘Well, if that’s the only place we have for a person right now … maybe tomorrow they’ll move me somewhere else,’” he said.

“Next day never comes.”

Hospital officials said the hallway is not where they want to be placing patients, but they are dealing with a serious shortage of beds. Two wards are currently occupied by patients that would be better suited for a long-term care home, but there is not room for them. So they are being cared for in hospital.

“We’ve had high occupancy that’s been sustained throughout the last flu season and into the prolonged spring and extended respiratory season,” said hospital spokesperson Mindy Lindstedt.

So far this year, 10 per cent of patients at the Sault Area Hospital have had to wait more than 49 hours for a bed. Hospital Officials say that their goal is to reduce that figure to 35 hours.

They also said that there is no cap on how long a patient can wait in an emergency department hallway.

Mike Chikoski said older patients such as his father deserve better.

“With our elderly, especially, we should be taking care of them better,” he said.

“They should never be in that hallway that long. Now, he wasn’t the only person in the hallway, either.”

Lindstedt said a number of factors are considered when triaging patients.

“We look at the acuity, the patient care needs and any other environmental needs like isolation precautions,” she said.

“If all being equal, for sure, we look at things like mobility, frailty, that sort of thing, and get patients up to a bed in that way.”

Chikoski said he doesn’t blame the Sault hospital, but said what happened to his father is proof that the entire system is failing people who need health care.