SWIFT action by paramedics made the difference between life and death for a truck driver in Bayhead on Monday, 27 March.
At about 10am Netcare 911 received panicked calls about a man at a truck stop in Bayhead who had severe chest pain.
Sandile Jankie, who is in his late 40s, said he had been suffering with the pain since the early hours of the morning when he left Rustenburg but had ignored it.
Seeing his discomfort, security officials in Bayhead decided to call for medical assistance.
The first to arrive was Peter Odayan, a veteran paramedic of 27 years.
“When I got there he was still conscious and I helped him into the ambulance. I administered basic treatment until Ruan arrived,” said Peter.
“When I arrived he was on the bed and still speaking to us,” said Ruan Joubert, who has been a paramedic for eight years. “While I was checking him he went into sudden cardiac arrest,” he added.
Their training kicked into gear and the paramedics rushed into action. They instantly started chest compressions and defibrillated Sandile three times.
“We did CPR for about 15 minutes before his pulse came back up and his eyes opened. He was still a little confused, but he was OK,” said Ruan.
They took Sandile to King Edward Hospital where tests revealed he had suffered a massive heart attack. He was transferred to Nkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital for specialised care.
Sandile is recovering well and was discharged from hospital after only a few days. While he couldn’t remember much of what happened that day, he is grateful to the paramedics who saved his life. The only lingering reminder of his ordeal is a bit of pain when he coughs.
“But I am doing well,” said Sandile.
Both paramedics have seen many similar cases over the years, but few have such a happy outcome.
“Because we were able to do chest compressions and defibrillate him immediately meant his chance of survival was high,” said Ruan.
“This was one of the few successes we have had in situations like this and it shows that immediate medical care is so important,” said Netcare 911 media liaison officer, Chris Botha.
They urge people to learn first aid.
“It is great if people know how to do chest compressions and first aid. The only real treatment is getting help to someone immediately,” said Ruan.
“The public should go for first aid course and companies should encourage their staff to train,” added Peter.
“This shows the effectiveness of early CPR and defibrillation. It is also vital to go for regular medical check-ups, and if you experience chest pain, seek medical assistance immediately,” said Chris.
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