New Brunswick hospital wrongly declares patient deceased

A woman was shocked to learn that her husband had been mistakenly declared dead by a New Brunswick hospital. Nadine Gwinn received the news from a pharmacist while trying to pick up medication for her husband, Albert Arsenault, who is 71 years old and at home. Arsenault had undergone surgery in September and was recovering well. On February 23, he went to The Moncton Hospital due to chest pain but was sent home the next day after tests showed no issues. Several weeks later, when Gwinn tried to collect his prescriptions, the pharmacist said Arsenault was listed as deceased in their system. Gwinn was alarmed and concerned about the financial implications. She worried about issues with their income tax and his pension payments. After confirming that everything was fine with the Canada Revenue Agency, she quickly acted to resolve the situation. To get his medication, Gwinn had to bring Arsenault to the pharmacy along with his identification to prove he was alive. The hospital later admitted the declaration of death was a mistake and did not issue a death certificate. Both Gwinn and Arsenault are frustrated with the hospital over the error. They feel that such a serious mistake should not happen. The health network has been contacted for more information.