Winnipegger suffering heart attack uses payphone to call for help

A Winnipeg man who says he endured delays getting a home phone line installed said he had to walkto a payphone to call for help after havinga heart attack.

AbdMiriAlTaaisaid he contactedPrimusCanada onFeb. 2to purchase internet and home service.He said he was told thatsomeone would come to his South Osborne apartment to install both services within sevento 10 days.

But around February 19 or 20, with no service yet, he called Primus again to express frustration. He was told service was set to begin by the next day, and his service actually did begin that day.

About two weeks later, and fearing there was a language barrier, the Iraqi immigrantasked his friendtophonePrimuson his behalf.

"[He]phone him he said, 'Yeah,the account cancelled,'" AlTaaisaid in disbelief, adding that he couldn't understand how that was possible givenhis internet service was still working.

According to AlTaai,Primustold him it would reopen the account if he paid$80.He did that on March10.

Three days later,AlTaaiwasn't feeling well. Heended up in hospital with a heart attack.

AlTaaisaid he had knocked on neighbours' doors for help,but no one answered. So he walked to the 7-Elevenon Osborne Street to call his friend from the payphone.

"I said 'I have so much pain, can you send me taxi?'" AlTaairecalled, adding he didn't want to call an ambulance because he couldn't afford the $500 ambulance fee.

Laura Ramsay of Primus said the company cancelled his service only because he explicitly requested it. Once he paid his bill and asked for service to resume, it put into motion a reconnection. Primus subsequently said the customer didnt ask for that reconnection until March 18, after his heart attack.

"I mean it is a distressing situation obviously and we, you know, our heart goes out to him. I can just tell you that at that point in time, he was not a customer ofPrimus," said the Primus spokesperson.

As for AlTaai, he said his friend has given him a cellphone to use in emergencies while he waits for his phone and internet to be connected.