Off-duty Singapore hospital workers who were heading home to JB save the life of 70-year-old at checkpoint

SINGAPORE: A quick-thinking group of off-duty medical workers from two Singapore hospitals sprang into action at the Johor Bahru checkpoint, saving the life of a man in his 70s who had collapsed in the carpark.

Three Malaysian patient care assistants (PCAs) from Parkway East Hospital, Vinoshini Sandrasagaran, Shareen Kaur Ranjit Singh, and Subhashini Subramaniam, were on their way home after completing an eight-hour morning shift on Merdeka Day (Mar 9) when they heard a woman’s urgent cries for help around 4.30pm.

Rushing towards the commotion, they found an elderly man unconscious on the ground. Though he was still breathing, his pulse was faint.

Believing at first he might be having a seizure, they tried placing an iron key in his hand but Vinoshini quickly realised his pulse was weakening further. Moments later, he stopped breathing.

Without hesitation, Shareen and others began CPR while Subhashini called emergency services. Also at the scene were two PCAs from Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Nanthini Kumaran and Hemadevi Balakrishnan, who joined in the rescue effort.

Between them, the five women have between three and seven years of medical experience. Together, they kept up chest compressions until the Malaysian checkpoint’s emergency response team arrived to take over.

The man’s oxygen saturation was measured at just 81% and he was fitted with an airway tube and a manual resuscitation device before being taken away in an ambulance.

Eyewitness footage posted to TikTok shows one of the rescuers performing rapid CPR as others knelt nearby. A male checkpoint responder in a red and blue uniform later took over with oxygen equipment, while another woman tried to rouse the man by patting his face.

Onlookers could be heard calling the women “heroes”.

Speaking afterwards, Vinoshini admitted the experience had shaken her. “When I felt Uncle’s pulse stop, I broke down and asked my colleagues to take over. But once I calmed down, I went back in. When his pulse returned, I felt so relieved,” she said, “If you can help in an emergency, please do it. Learn basic first aid – it could make all the difference.”

Subhashini said she discovered medication for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol in the man’s bag while calling for the ambulance. “When he was saved, I felt grateful. It reminded me why I chose this profession – to help others in their most critical moments,” she said.

Nanthini, from Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, said there was no time for fear. “The moment he collapsed, my training kicked in. Everyone worked together, regardless of which hospital we were from. That’s the spirit of our profession – our duty doesn’t end when our shift does.”

Ivan Khor, CEO of Parkway East Hospital, and Sherrie Lim, CEO of Mount Elizabeth Nivena Hospital, praised the five PCAs for their composure and compassion. “Their selfless actions are a testament to the dedication of our medical staff, on and off duty,” they said in a joint statement.

According to the Singapore Red Cross, brain damage can begin within four minutes if the heart and lungs stop delivering oxygen to vital organs.

Proper CPR, delivered at 100–120 compressions per minute, can sustain blood flow until advanced help arrives. This is exactly what this group of off-duty medical professionals achieved that day.