A nurse, who saved the life of a bus passenger last year after a heart attack, has called on UAE residents to equip themselves with basic lifesaving skills.
Priscilla Bency, who was on her way home, saved the life of an elderly co-passenger when he suffered a heart attack. Even though she thought the man was dead, Priscilla Bency continued to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), saving his life.
It was in August last year that Aster Clinic Muteena employee Priscilla saved the life of the vegetable seller, who was on his way home after feeling uneasy at work. “The man was going to take a metro home, but at the last minute decided to board the bus,” she said. “It was almost like I was destined to save his life.”
When she was first alerted to the incident, Priscilla thought it would be futile to try and save the man. “I assumed that he was dead because I was not getting a pulse and he was visibly breathing,” she said, speaking to Khaleej Times. “But I could see that he was sweating profusely so I began performing CPR. Within a few minutes, I started to notice him beginning to respond. This encouraged me to continue doing it.”
Off-duty
Priscilla was off-duty and was on the way to the Union metro station in Deira to go home when the incident occurred. “There were just four of us, including the driver, in the bus,” she recalled. “Suddenly one of the passengers rushed forward saying that the other person had collapsed.”
She immediately jumped up and moved towards the back of the bus where the passenger was slumped on the seat. “I asked the other passenger to help me lay him down on the floor of the bus so I could help him,” she said.
Priscilla then proceeded to perform the emergency procedure on the man for over 20 minutes, even after the responders arrived on scene. “When the ambulance arrived, the first responders asked me to continue performing CPR,” she said. “They then administered defibrillation before transporting the patient to Dubai Hospital.”
CPR is a procedure that requires immense physical and mental strength and it is advised that if two first aid providers are on the scene, they must switch places every two minutes to avoid fatigue. Although the procedure alone rarely saves lives, it is designed to supply oxygenated blood to the brain until help arrives.
Concerned
Once the ambulance arrived and the man was transported to the hospital, Priscilla continued with her journey. It was only after she reached her accommodation that she had the time to think about her actions. “I am usually a very shy person,” she said. “On that day, there were so many people standing outside the bus and looking at me but I did not even notice it. At one point, I was so exhausted that I had to step off the bus to take a few deep breaths.”
When she relayed the information to her brother-in-law, he became concerned about the man. “We were both concerned about his well-being and wanted to make sure he was ok,” she said. “We knew he had been taken to Dubai Hospital so we went there to check on him.”
There, she met the man who thanked her profusely. “He was an employee at a vegetable market and had been working in the UAE for more than two decades,” she said. “On that day, he felt uneasy while at work and left his workplace early. All he remembered was boarding the bus and then waking up at the hospital. He was the sole breadwinner of his family, and he thanked me for keeping him safe and alive.”
Importance
According to experts, such incidents highlight the importance of having basic lifesaving skills. “In an age where every second counts, equipping the general public with basic lifesaving skills has never been more crucial,” said Dr Zeynep Zehra Gumus, internal medicine specialist at Aster Royal Clinic. “Trained bystanders who step in to stabilise victims until professional help arrives can significantly boost survival rates and mitigate the severity of injuries.”
Dr Zeynep said it was important to train the general public in basic lifesaving skills. “Empowering people with these skills isn’t just about handling emergencies; it’s about building a proactive, health-conscious society,” she said. “It’s a call to action for everyone to learn and share these invaluable techniques, contributing to the overall well-being and safety of our communities.”
She said communities that are good at lifesaving techniques are inherently safer. “This collective preparedness fosters resilience, ensuring that help is always at hand when disaster strikes,” she said. “It’s a societal asset that enhances public safety. Moreover, widespread education in lifesaving skills supports and complements the efforts of emergency services. By bridging the gap before professionals arrive, these trained individuals provide a critical lifeline, ultimately strengthening the entire emergency response system.”
