A man tragically lost his life after collapsing while playing badminton at a sports hall in Puchong on the night of April 2.
Despite still showing signs of breathing initially, bystanders at the scene were unable to perform effective CPR or use the available automated external defibrillator (AED), leading to his death at the hospital.
Received a call requesting for ambulance
The incident was shared on Facebook by community responder and medical volunteer Kuan Chee Heng, better known as “Uncle Kentang.”
In his post on the Uncle Kentang Log, he expressed both grief and frustration over the preventable outcome.
Kuan recounted that he had just finished helping an overweight patient and was on his way home when he received a call requesting an ambulance.
I told the caller our team was already tied up with other duties, and only Suhaizan (another staff member) and I were available,” he wrote.
Despite his exhaustion, Kuan asked for more details and was told that a man had fainted during a badminton session but was still breathing.
Advised them to use the AED
Concerned that the situation could worsen, Kuan advised the caller to retrieve the AED from a nearby mamak stall in case the man’s condition deteriorated. He was told that a call to 999 had already been made.
Kuan arrived at the scene approximately 10 minutes later.
I ran in to see what help I could offer. The ambulance hadn’t arrived yet. From a distance, I saw the man lying on the ground,” he said.
One player was attempting CPR, but Kuan noted the compressions were not deep enough. He quickly took over and instructed someone to open the AED.
To my shock, no one knew how to use the AED. It was just lying on the ground,” he wrote.
Despite his fatigue, Kuan administered CPR and used the AED on the collapsed man until the man’s wife and children arrived.
Passed away after being sent to the emergency room
When the ambulance finally reached the scene, Kuan helped the paramedics lift the man into the vehicle and continued resuscitation efforts inside.
The ambulance reached the hospital swiftly, and the man was taken to the emergency room where doctors did their best to revive him.
“I told the family to pray,” Kuan said. But at 11pm, he received the heartbreaking news that the man had passed away.
Kuan, who was physically overwhelmed from the incident, said he felt nauseous and nearly fainted from exhaustion.
Every Malaysian should learn proper CPR and AED use
What pains me the most is thinking — if high-quality CPR had been performed immediately, and the AED used correctly and on time, could his life have been saved?”
He urged all sports venues to be equipped with AEDs and stressed the need for every Malaysian to learn proper CPR and AED use.
Every second counts in a medical emergency. Knowing what to do could mean the difference between life and death.”
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