S'pore doctor on SIA flight helps sick girl
Sports doc helps treat young girl suffering fits on his flight
He was on board a flight to the US last Thursday to share his medical knowledge at an international conference.
But Dr Patrick Goh had to put that knowledge to good use even before the plane touched down when a fellow passenger suffered an epileptic fit mid-air.
Dr Goh, 54, a sports physician at Orthopaedics International in Camden Medical Centre, swiftly went to her aid and brought her condition under control.
Playing down his gallant act, he told The New Paper: "I honestly didn't really think about it. Instinct just kicked in.
"It was really nothing much."
Dr Goh is no stranger to medical emergencies on a plane, having rendered medical assistance in the air on four previous occasions.
This time, he was on board SQ16, a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight bound for San Francisco via Seoul, when a young female passenger sitting in front of him started shaking in her seat halfway through the six-hour flight.
He said: "I was about to doze off when I heard a commotion at the row of seats in front of me.
"A girl was convulsing and her eyes deviated to one side while her arms and legs were twitching.
"Her parents were shouting 'What's happening to her?'"
Dr Goh knew she was having an epileptic fit and immediately sprang from his seat.
"Her mother was crying and looked distraught.
"So I identified myself as a doctor and did what I could."
After he rolled the girl on her side to prevent her from choking, Dr Goh checked her vital signs and monitored her pupil reactions.
"After a minute or so, the convulsions stopped spontaneously and the girl regained consciousness after 15 minutes," he said.
"She was in a daze but her parents shook my hands and thanked me profusely."
As a father of two daughters, aged 12 and 15, Dr Goh said his heart went out to the girl's parents.
EMPATHY
"I could really empathise with them because my girls are around the same age.
"If I were in their shoes, I would want someone to come forward and help too."
A spokesman for SIA confirmed the incident and said: "One of our customers on SQ16, en route to San Francisco via Seoul on June 11, 2015, had a medical issue and was attended to by a doctor on board.
"Upon arrival into Seoul, our ground staff had further consultations with the doctor as well as the (customer's) family doctor in San Francisco before she was allowed to continue with her journey to San Francisco."
Although rendering medical aid on a plane presents its own set of challenges (see report right), Dr Goh said he does not hesitate to respond whenever he hears a call for help.
As chairman of the National Anti-Doping Advisory Board and chief medical officer for Team Singapore at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, Dr Goh has treated the likes of sporting legends such as Fandi Ahmad and Ang Peng Siong.
But despite his wealth of experience, Dr Goh admitted that mid-air medical emergencies still faze him from time to time.
"This was my fifth in-flight incident in the last 21 years and there have been a few moments when I wonder if I'm up to it.
"But as a doctor, I feel I have an ethical duty to step forward.
"It's not about being a hero, but just about doing what you can to help."
"If I were in their shoes, I would want someone to come forward and help too."
- Dr Patrick Goh, on the parents of a girl whom he helped on a plane after she suffered an epileptic seizure
The ABC of treating fits
It is difficult to perform medical procedures on a plane due to the lack of space and equipment, said Dr Clarence Yeo, a general practitioner at Killiney Family and Wellness Clinic.
Dr Yeo said: "The problem lies in the limitations of a plane setting.
"For more serious medical emergencies, there may not be adequate equipment or area to perform the necessary procedures."
However, Dr Yeo told The New Paper that for cases that do not require surgical intervention, such as an epileptic seizure, even those without medical knowledge can render help.
He advised: "If you see someone suffering an epileptic fit, do not panic and immediately call for medical assistance.
"In the midst of convulsions, general safety is the main concern.
"If they are surrounded by foreign objects that are sharp and dangerous, move them to a safe and open area along the aisles."
He offered this general rule of thumb: "Just follow the basic principles of first aid and remember the ABCs - airway, breathing and circulation.
"Make sure the airway is clear by rolling the person on their side so they won't suffocate and check for breathing and pulse."
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