MELAKA: After experiencing a “heart-stopping” moment at KL International Airport, banker Emily Au Kay (pic) advocates for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) literacy to be shared more widely.
The 48-year-old banker urged private hospitals in the state to help teach the life-saving technique to the masses.
Au said her CPR knowledge, which she learnt at a mass life-saving course by the Mahkota Medical Centre (MMC) last month, had given her the courage to lend a helping hand when an elderly man collapsed outside a male toilet at the departure hall of KLIA1 on Oct 31.
Au said the man was on his way to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, to perform his religious obligations when he suddenly collapsed.
“I volunteered to help resuscitate the man together with paramedics using the skills I learned from MMC as well as from St. John’s Ambulance, previously.
“The man, who I believe was in his early 60s, was saved and doctors attended to him later,” she said when interviewed here Saturday (Nov 23).
The mother of two said she was on her way to Taiwan when the incident occurred.
“The CPR course by MMC actually helped refresh my skill and it came in handy that day.
“CPR knowledge is vital for all of us,” she said.
Au said victims still had a high chance of being revived if resuscitation was carried out as soon as possible after cardiac arrest.
She said it was crucial that CPR is performed at an early stage.
Au said this was the reason she campaigned for more certified CPR courses and providers within the community.
“We can handle emergencies more skilfully and calmly by attending CPR courses,” she added.