KUCHING: Once you become a practising medical doctor, you’re on call at all times, no matter where you are.
Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian made this observation while commending Deputy Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Minister Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee for the latter’s act of compassion and expertise during a medical emergency on a Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight today (Sept 6).
“Dr. Annuar, who is my colleague in the state Cabinet as well as in the Sarawak Heart Centre, is an exemplary medical doctor. He was the first cardiologist trained for six months at the Berlin Heart Centre in cardiac MRI in Malaysia under Yayasan Sarawak.
“This was when Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) had successfully fought for the first cardiac MRI in Malaysia back in 2003 due to a shortage of funding and no allocation for training. This is something that sounds familiar to those of us who have ever worked in the Ministry of Health (MoH),” he said in a social media post.
Reflecting on his 32-year career as a medical practitioner, Dr Sim recounted several instances of responding to medical emergencies.
Among them, one particularly vivid memory was his flight from Paris to New York en route to Washington DC, which had to be rerouted to Gander Airport in Canada. This diversion was a consequence of the 9/11 incident, which prompted the abrupt closure of US airspace.
“Upon landing, no one was allowed to disembark the aircraft for more than eight hours. One of the passengers suffered from colic, and despite the resuscitation kits, I had to get the medic to take him off the aircraft,” he said.
Dr Sim also mentioned that he had encountered his fair share of medical emergencies on the ground, the most recent of which occurred during the swearing-in ceremony of Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) mayor.
In this incident, a waiter who was serving light refreshments suddenly collapsed and experienced an epileptic seizure.
“Luckily, there were three YBs (Datuk Dr. Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Dr. Hazland Abang Hipni, and me) who were able to do the needful before the ambulance arrived.
“Following the incident when a Guard of Honor collapsed and was found to be pulseless during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) opening this year, I had requested my ministry to look at amending our Sarawak Building bylaw for the implementation of automated external defibrillators in public places,” he said.
