Brian Sinclair died in a Winnipeg emergency room after waiting 34 hours without receiving care. (CBC)

Several news outlets in Winnipeg, including the CBC, have lost a bid to bring cameras into the courtroom for the Brian Sinclair inquest.

The media organizations stated their case in a Winnipeg courtroom earlier this month, saying the inquest into the high-profile death of Sinclair should be televised so that as many people as possible can watch it.

Judge Timothy Preston said he understands why so many people want to see what goes on at the inquest but added he worries that letting cameras in could set a precedent.

And that might keep people, concerned about privacy, from participating at future inquests, he said.

Sinclair, a 45-year-old double amputee with a speech problem, was found dead in his wheelchair after spending 34 hours in the emergency department waiting room of the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre in September 2008.

Cameras are banned from Manitoba courthouses, but inquiries held in buildings other than courtrooms historically have been broadcast.

The inquest, scheduled for later this year in a Winnipeg courtroom, is expected to touch on a number of issues at the heart of Canadian health care.

An autopsy determined Sinclair died of a blood infection brought on by complications of a bladder infection caused by a blocked catheter.

Dr. Thambirajah Balachandra, Manitoba's chief medical examiner, has said his death could have been prevented if the blood infection had been treated.

Networks including CBC, CTV, Global and APTN had argued in front of provincial court Judge Tim Preston that the public had a right to watch the inquest on television or through streaming on the web.

The Sinclair family supported the networks' bid. Brian Sinclair's cousin, Robert, was visibly upset leaving law courts building after the ruling from Preston and wouldn't comment to the media.

Province, health authority, nurses opposed

Lawyers for the province, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and the Manitoba Nurses Union argued against it.

Having cameras present could influence the behaviour of witnesses and set a bad precedent, they maintained.

Lawyers for the health authority said the inquest will deal with "a tragic death," and because witnesses are extremely fragile, it is the last place where testimony should take place in front of a camera.

The publicity already brought on by Sinclair's death has "resulted in staff being yelled at more frequently with threats of being killed, and a discernible increase in racial comments and accusations," stated a submission provided by the health authority to Preston in early March.