5 Patient Care Associates (PCAs) from Parkway East Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital are being praised as heroes after saving the life of an elderly man who collapsed at Johor Bahru Customs on August 9.
5 PCAs, Shareen Kaur Ranjit Singh, Veenoshini Sandrasagaran, and Subhashini Subramaniam from Parkway East Hospital, along with Nanthiine GudialKumaran and Hemadewi Balakrishnan from Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital came together when they found out that a man had collapsed.
Image credit: Screen grab from @paulwecareweshare (TikTok)
5 PCAs performing CPR for about 30 minutes
Reports said that on the day, Ranjit Singh and her two colleagues were waiting for a ride upon entering Johor Bahru, and they heard a woman shouting for help and later they saw an elderly man was collapsed on the ground.
The victim, estimated to be in his 70s, was found foaming at the mouth with a faint pulse. Moments later, he stopped breathing. Ranjit Singh immediately began chest compressions while Sandrasagaran monitored his pulse. Subramaniam immediately called for an ambulance and used Google Translate to communicate with the man’s Vietnamese companion, eventually discovering through his medication that he suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
GudialKumaran and Balakrishnan, who had just arrived at customs, noticed the commotion and joined in. The five took turns performing CPR for around 30 minutes before the ambulance arrived, as the customs’ emergency response team lacked an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Image credit: Screen grab from @paulwesharewecare (TikTok)
PCAs refused to give up on saving the victim as his pulse kept fading
The prolonged effort took an emotional toll on Sandrasagaran before the victim was taken to hospital. Sandrasagaran admitted breaking down when the man’s pulse kept fading, but the team refused to stop. Their persistence paid off when his pulse returned, and he was transported by ambulance to a Johor Bahru hospital.
“I broke down emotionally for a moment when uncle’s pulse kept dropping and stopped breathing and my colleagues took over,” Sandrasagaran said, “I felt so relieved and happy when his pulse came back. Many thoughts ran through my mind but the only thing I want is don’t give up on the uncle.”
Medical dedication extends beyond the workplace
In a joint statement, Parkway East Hospital CEO Ivan Khor and Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital CEO Sherrie Lim commended their staff:
“We are incredibly proud of our five Patient Care Associates for their quick thinking and skill that saved a life while on their way home from work. They demonstrated that compassion and commitment to care is not based on the uniform we wear, but a selfless calling we live by, on or off duty.”
The man remains hospitalised, but the swift actions of these five PCAs serve as a powerful reminder of the life-saving value of CPR and the spirit of healthcare professionals beyond working hours.
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