By Daniel Dale
The Toronto Star
TORONTO — The provincial coroner will hold an inquest into the death of Jim Hearst, the Toronto man who died of a heart attack in June while paramedics waited outside his apartment building.
The inquest, which will “examine the events surrounding Mr. Hearst’s death” and may result in “recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths,” follows an investigation by the provincial health ministry, which made 13 recommendations, and a policy review by a city-initiated working group, which made 10 recommendations.
Toronto Emergency Medical Services spokeswoman Kim McKinnon said EMS is already implementing many of the existing recommendations.
“I guess we’ll see what they find in addition to what we’ve already done,” McKinnon said. “We can certainly assure the public that if there’s more that we can do, we are certainly willing to listen and put those things in place.”
No date has been set for the inquest.
Alejandro Martinez, the partner of the 59-year-old Hearst, could not be reached. The announcement of the inquest was hailed by Manuel Rodriguez, a neighbour who tried to resuscitate Hearst after he collapsed on June 25.
“The major concern is to not see things happen again,” Rodriguez said.
Copyright 2010 Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd.