Putting newly learned first aid skills into practice
When Priya Choudhary first attended the first aid lesson with the Singapore Red Cross, she had no idea that she would be putting her CPR skills into practice the very next day. Call it fate or coincidence if you will, but it actually happened.
Priya learnt first aid with the Singapore Red Cross on 1 and 2 August. The next day, on 3 August, she was alerted to a young man’s cries for help during her early morning walk at Queenstown Stadium.
“I saw an old man sitting on a bench. His eyes were flickering and his legs were beginning to stiffen up. A few moments later, his eyes closed and his legs stiffened. I observed him and realised that he was unconscious and wasn’t breathing,” explained Priya.
Swinging into action, she laid him on the ground as it was a hard surface that provided adequate back support. She asked for passers-by to call 995. Unfortunately, no one had a phone with them as they were mostly joggers. She called 995 using her own phone on speaker mode.
“The situation was tense and I lost track of time. I got even more flustered when the operators from Singapore Civil Defence asked for my location. All I knew then was to help the man,” said Priya.
Wasting no time, she swiftly commenced Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on the old man. She did about 50 chest compressions before two lifeguards from the stadium’s swimming pool came with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). One took over the provision of CPR while the other operated the AED machine. Thereafter, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived and administered a shock to the casualty through the defibrillator. He regained consciousness subsequently.
“Initially, I was just reacting based on the circumstances. After SCDF took over and when the realisation sank in, my legs were shaking really badly,” she quipped.
“You can’t wait if it’s a life and death situation. I was at the right place at the right time. It’s almost eerie how coincidental it was,” shared Priya.
On hindsight, Priya felt that some things could have been done better. Although she did ask someone to call 995 from her phone, the bystanders were in a state of shock and were unable to help. It would have been better if a bystander called for the ambulance.
When asked about how she felt about providing first aid to someone in need, Priya shared, “I feel good that the skills that I have acquired were put into good use, for a good cause. When someone is unconscious, the first three to four minutes are crucial to saving a person’s life before professional medical aid arrives. Performing CPR is key to reviving an unconscious person who is not breathing.”
Having administered first aid on someone in a real-life situation, she is now convinced that first aid MUST be taught to everyone, not only to a handful.
“I got the opportunity to learn and I am thankful for that. It is a useful skill that everyone should be equipped with. I hope my husband and child will learn it too. You never know when these skills could come handy as such emergencies can happen to anyone, anywhere and at any time.
Sharing the same sentiment as Priya, Syafawi Ho, a First Aid instructor with the Singapore Red Cross.encourages everyone to learn first aid.
“No one knows when an accident or cardiac arrest may happen. It is important to equip ourselves with life-saving skills so we can use it during emergencies,” affirmed Syafawi Ho,
Beaming with pride, Syafawi is proud that Priya, whom he had taught, had provided first aid to someone in need.
“I feel very proud and honoured when I heard the news about Priya’s courageous act. It is definitely one of my proudest achievements as a Singapore Red Cross First Aid Instructor. This piece of news reaffirmed the conviction that as first aid instructors, we can impart knowledge and give the trainees the confidence to step up as bystander first aiders,”
