SINGAPORE, Oct 13 — Accident and emergency (A&E) doctor Dr Christopher Wong is used to life-threatening situations but when he found himself experiencing his own, his colleagues rushed to his aid...at a tennis court on May 19.

According to the Singapore Straits Times, Dr Wong, 56, was playing tennis at adjunct associate professor and senior medical consultant Kenneth Heng’s condominium when he started feeling dizzy at 8.30am, collapsing soon after.

Besides Heng, 54, two other senior medical consultants had joined them for tennis, Dr Sohil Pothiawala, 47 and Amila Punyadasa, 52.

Dr Sohil said he did not feel a pulse and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with Amila.

Heng meanwhile had called an ambulance, and had to run to a nearby condominium to borrow an automated external defibrillator (AED) as his own building did not seem to have one.

Dr Wong had been unresponsive for about 15 minutes by the time Heng had returned with the AED.

Undeterred, his friends continued to attempt to revive him until Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedics arrived, who continued administering shocks.

Eventually he came to and was then rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where Heng worked and the latter called ahead to let his colleagues know of Dr Wong’s arrival.

After being given an angioplasty, Dr Wong was discharged after two days.

Heng, Amila and Dr Sohil each received an SCDF Community Lifesaver Award in July for their efforts to save their friend.

Heng said that he hopes that more members of the public could learn to step up in similar situations.

"The same outcomes could have been achieved. (It’s) not just because we’re doctors,” he said.

Since the incident, Heng helped his condominium’s management to reach out to the SCDF to install a publicly accessible AED, while also getting 40 of his fellow residents to learn CPR together.

Dr Wong meanwhile surmised: "Life is so fragile. I could easily have been jogging alone (when it happened). So, I was at the right place, at the right time.”

SCDF has also encouraged members of the public to sign up to the SCDF myResponder app that alerts them to nearby minor fires, suspected cases of cardiac arrest and also locate nearby AEDs.