Taken from Today Online
Man collapses in KPE event?
Monday • September 15, 2008
A MAN is in critical condition, aftercollapsing yesterday morninginside the unopened Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway.
This, during a race inside the tunnel to celebrate the completion of the 12km underground highway.
Identified as Mr Koh Sien Chin, 48, he was neither a participant in the competitive 10km run nor the 5km fun walk; he was hired by the Land Transport Authority as the event’s official photographer.
938Live reporter Joanne Chan, who witnessed Mr Koh faint at about 9.15am near the finish line, reported that the first people to respond were the runners.
One of them, Kalai Chelvan, had just completed the 10km race when he noticed Mr Koh, lying on the ground.
He recounted: “Another lady from the 5km walk crossed over and identified herself as a doctor. She said we needed to resuscitate him. He was turning blue in the face and his hands were cold.”
Mr Kalai, 43, administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while the doctor conducted chest compressions. Medics from the ambulance stationed a short distance away appeared to be at a loss and did not understand the instructions given by the doctor, he added.
As Mr Koh’s heartbeat could not be detected, he was given three shocks from the automated external defibrillator, a portable electronic device used to treat sudden heart attacks.
Mr Koh was sent to Changi General Hospital 20 minutes after his collapse, the cause of which is still unknown.
But some participants, including Mr Kalai, complained the tunnel was not well-ventilated.
“We felt breathless when we were running. Because we know the pace we run (and) how much oxygen we take in, from today’s run, I can tell you there’s not enough air coming in,” he said.
Another participant, who wanted to be known as Ms Huang, said she found it harder to breathe compared to outdoor runs. “Initially I found it quite fun, but by the fifth or sixth kilometre, it got a little stuffy and difficult to breathe. (It is) different from running outdoors, where there’s fresh air,” she said.
In a media statement, the LTA said it ensured the necessary medical staff and equipment — three private ambulances and a medical doctor — were in place for the event.
The LTA told Channel NewsAsia that the tunnel’s ventilation system — consisting of six jet fans and six tunnel ventilation fans — was working consistently throughout the event. 938Live