Allison Holthoff dies in Nova Scotia emergency room after waiting for seven hours, family demands answers

On New Year's Eve, Allison Holthoff from Nova Scotia, Canada, passed away after nearly seven hours without receiving treatment for stomach pain. The 37-year-old was rushed to a hospital on December 31, 2022, at around 11 am when her condition deteriorated from what was initially believed to be a stomach upset.

Gunter Holthoff, Allison’s husband, told CBS News that he had to carry her on his back to get to Nova Scotia’s Cumberland Regional Health Care Center in Amherst.

Allison died after spending nearly seven hours in the hospital (Image via Twitter/@KatePri14608408)

After reaching the clinic, the couple had to spend hours in the waiting room until around 3 pm when Allison was finally moved to a room. However, Gunter recalls that the room had little to no medical equipment.

They had to wait in the room for nearly three hours until 6 pm to get any medical attention from a doctor. At 6:30 pm, an X-Ray was performed on her, when at around 6:45 pm, there was a code blue.

Gunter called the system “broken” and as he claimed that it needed to be changed, he said that he didn't want anyone experiencing what he just did.

A local MLA, Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, demanded an urgent investigation of the case and sent a letter to the provincial health minister of Nova Scotia.

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Nova Scotia Health Coalition's provincial co-ordinator said that the healthcare system is in a dire condition

Gunter Holthoff said his wife's pain kept worsening while they waited for more than six hours in the waiting room from 11 am to 6 pm Finally, after 6 pm, they were able to see a doctor, who informed him that by then, it was already too late. Allison was taken through a preliminary examination.

Gunter said that his wife’s condition declined to the point where she was even unable to peacefully sit in a wheelchair, and she ended up lying down on the floor.

While they were still in the waiting room, Allison told her husband that she felt like she was dying and told Gunter not to let her die there.

Gunter Holthoff and Allison Holthoff (Image provided by Gunter Holthoff)

She was then taken to a room in order for her to lie down on a bed, but, as mentioned before, there was no medical equipment in the room. When a nurse checked her blood pressure, it was alarmingly low.

A doctor came to see Allison as she received more urgent care, and an X-ray was being prepped, but Allison couldn’t breathe. She had a cardiac arrest before the X-ray could be performed. A code blue in the X-ray was heard.

Though the nurse and doctor tried to resuscitate her thrice, she died in the ICU at around 11:30 pm

Alexandra Rose, Nova Scotia Health Coalition’s provincial coordinator referred to the situation and called it scary, and added:

“We have to wonder, when is the breaking point? Is this the breaking point now that somebody has passed away? It was a senseless death.”

Allison Holthoff's death has led to renewed scrutiny of Nova Scotia’s healthcare system. There is a shortage of staff in the emergency departments and the waiting rooms are overcrowded.

Allison Holthoff (Image via Facebook/Ali Holthoff)

Gunter Holthoff mentioned that he is still unaware of his wife’s actual cause of death. However, he did not criticize the healthcare workers or the medical staff, but blamed the Nova Scotia government’s handling of the system.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority announced that a quality review of the entire system is being carried out, but the process will remain confidential.