4 days ago
Dubai doctor on tea break saves man from fatal heart attack after collapsing near Metro
Sameer (name changed upon request) had just stepped out from work and had barely taken a few steps toward the metro station when his vision blurred, his legs buckled, and he collapsed on the pavement. Unconscious and barely breathing, he was completely unaware that he was moments away from death due to a cardiac arrest.
Fate, however, intervened in the form of Dr Niraj Gupta — a specialist in interventional cardiology at NMC Royal Hospital in Dubai Investment Park (DIP) who happened to be across the street taking a quick karak break. He hadn't eaten all day and was grabbing a quick snack when he noticed a crowd gathering.
'I saw people standing around someone on the ground. When I reached him, I realised he was sweating heavily and breathing just four times a minute,' Dr Niraj recalled. 'It was a cardiac arrest and we had to act quickly.'
The hospital was nearby. Without wasting a moment, the doctor alerted the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS) and began CPR. Two shocks were delivered even before reaching the hospital, and a third one was administered inside the emergency department.
A full Code Blue was activated at the hospital and the patient was given priority. Emergency, ICU, and cardiology teams sprang into action. Sameer was diagnosed with a critical cardiac condition — acute inferior wall ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) and ventricular fibrillation (VF).
After being rushed to a laboratory, an angiography revealed a 100 percent blockage in the right coronary artery and a 90 percent blockage in the left. Four drug-eluting stents were placed to restore blood flow. Thanks to the swift medical intervention, he was able to walk again within just two days.
'I didn't even know I had diabetes,' Sameer said after recovering. 'I thought I was healthy. If the doctor hadn't been there that moment, I wouldn't be alive today. I am just so thankful.'
Dr Niraj, who hadn't eaten all day and performed the entire procedure without pause, said poor lifestyle habits are one of the biggest contributors to heart attacks in young adults.
'People in their 30s shouldn't be experiencing this. But stress, poor diet, smoking, processed food, and high cholesterol are major risk factors,' he noted.
He urged residents to take regular checkups seriously and recommended basic heart screenings, including:
Sameer said the experience has changed his life. 'I've cut down on junk food," he said. I started walking every day, and I'm making health my top priority. I got a second chance, I won't take it for granted.'
