A woman died from internal bleeding on New Year’s Eve. The patient and her husband were forced to sit in a waiting room for seven hours while the nurses disregarded her pleas for help from pain.

Allison Holthoff, 37, woke up on December 31st with an upset stomach. Her pain worsened throughout the day, so her husband rushed her to the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre. 

According to Gunther, they arrived around 11 am and sought the nurse for help. He explained his wife’s situation to the nurse. They took blood and urine samples, but Allison was in a lot of pain. After that, they were directed to a waiting room.

Security guards discovered Allison on the ground in a fetal position due to extreme pain.

Around 3 pm, she was taken into an examination room for the first time, and additional blood samples were drawn. Gunther asked for some help about 5 times as Allison was still in pain. However, the nurses dismissed them every time.

He also said that the nurse asked him if Allison was on drugs. Allison kept telling Gunther that she expected to die.

At 6 pm, seven hours after arriving at the hospital, Allison began to scream in agony and beg for help.

Allison’s vital signs were taken, and nurses discovered that her blood pressure had dropped and her heart rate had increased.

Gunther said that it was the time when the nurses paid attention to them.

Finally, Allison was examined by a doctor, who prescribed pain relievers and performed an EKG and an X-ray. Gunther claimed he walked away for a moment, only to return to find his wife screaming in agony.

The staff realized she had gone into cardiac arrest when her eyes rolled back into her head. After three attempts to resuscitate Allison, doctors informed Gunther of the likelihood of a successful surgery, and he decided not to proceed.

The doctor informed Gunther that Allison had internal bleeding. However, they can’t identify which area and when it began.

Allison’s family has yet to receive the autopsy report.

According to the Department of Health and Wellness, the Nova Scotia Health Authority will investigate the case.