Of Birthday and RTA

Its Henry's Birthday today!!! (19/09)

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to Henry, Happy birthday to you!!!

Knowing you for more than a year, you have been a great friend to all. Thanks for listening to all my grumbles, rumbles, complains... May you succeed in life!!!

Okie, next topic.

Went to QZ's grandfather wake after work. Met up with some ex-sjab ppl there. Like old reunion. Sent SY and HG back after that.

Saw a RTA again. Bike and car. Outside Khadit Camp, at the traffic light junction. That's the junction where you can enter Sembawang Camp using the rear exit. The junction where ZX always drives in into camp.

A casualty (male) was lying on the ground. I shifted my vehicle onto the right lane and stopped and render help. The casualty was alert, and complained of pain on the left leg. Wanted to cut his pants, but on second thought, i just pulled up his pants and took off his shoes to have a look.

My visual observation. Left leg looked normal. No signs of swelling, tenderness, deformity. But to be on the safe side, i left the leg alone.

Asked the normal questions that is needed to ask to access the casualty... Giddness, any other pains, while i did a secondary survey. Head to toe survey. Seems okie, with no visual injury.

Went back to my van to take my BP set out, was about to check for BP when the Ambulance (no 341) arrived. Stepped back to allow the paramedics to access the casualty. Noticed that the AO asked the same questions during secondary survey as i had did.

Immoblised the leg, and its time to "load and go". Helped the SCFD ppl with the loading.

In this RTA, i did nothing much. It's not a critical case, as according to my observation. Anyway, i observed that the licence plate of the car (front) was struck on the rear wheel of the bike. As per normal, i did not care about the licence plate of the car.

I went to shook the hand of the AO, thanking her, and guess what is her response?

Guess... Cannot think?

Just guess... Still cannot think of her response?

Keep guessing...

You can never guess her response. What she said shocked me... totally... i was stunned... really, honest... i swear...

"Its you again". That's her response.

"Everytime got RTA, can see you around..." was her next line...

I could not recongnise her. I cannot recall what RTA that i had helped out with, when she came in in an ambulance... As i keep thinking now, i still cannot recall what RTA where i had worked with her.

But she recognised me. That's for darn sure.

OMG... As i think further, i realised that i had lost track of the RTAs that i had assisted in rendering first aid. But i still remember the first RTA that i had encountered. The most serious of all. Leg got amputated during RTA. Pillion rider.

Since that RTA, that's when i started equipped my van with a first aid kit.

Chatted briefly with the AO before they went off. After that, i went over to shake hands with the passerby who had assisted in the RTA also.

That's where i realised that the passerbys are not ordinary passerbys. One of them was working in SGH, the other 2 are policemen. Had a pleasant time working with them.

The guy who was from SGH told me, that the casualty was lucky, that he, the 2 policemen, and a paramedic (referring to me) was around. That's when i corrected him.

"Nope, i am not a paramedic, I am a first aider from St John" i said with pride.

His next comments was a compliment to my ears.

"Same lah, no difference."

To all SJAB ppl out there, there's a huge difference between a paramedic, and a first aider. And when he says, "same lah, no difference" after assisting in a RTA, you can guess the meaning of it.

Still i was proud to say these few words.

"Nope, i am not a paramedic. I am a First Aider from St John".

Thank you, the ppl from SJAB, especially Gary Koh, Derek Tan, Callen Tham, George Lim, Enoch Chan, Mr Victor Tian, Dennis Chua, Rafi, Asiah, Simon Quek, Jia Hong, Shawn Quah, Dr Su Dehui, and others in SJAB, DUTY SIAOS, for your advice, your valuable lessons in First Aid knowledge that was imparted to me. Needless to say, the one that impart the most knowledge to me is Derek Tan, George Lim and Enoch Chan.

Its your imparting of first aid knowledge that allows me to assist in the numerous RTAs with calm and confidence and identifying myself as a First Aider from St John Ambulance.

With PRIDE.