Medical Student Shares Some Heartfelt Stories From The Deadly Hospital Fire In Johor

The 24-year-old medical student has been posted to HSA in Johor Bahru, Johor several times in the past three years to undergo clinical training. This time around, he was at the hospital for his anesthesiology posting.

The Johorean shared his thoughts and feelings about his experience with the tragic incident:

I was in the changing room, preparing to go into the operation theatres (OT) when the blackout happened around 8:40am. Blackout is not uncommon in the public hospital, so I did not feel suspicious. As soon as we went into the OT we saw a commotion, with staff rushing off down the corridors, saying, "ICU on fire".

I did not hear it clearly then, there was no alarm or siren, not yet. Then, we saw people at the windows of the OT where we could see the ICU directly opposite us. I could see fire behind the windows with flames raging in the now-dark ICU. The fates of the patients were ominous.

"At least one nurse to one patient. Those who can walk, walk; those who can’t, push them through the other exit," she shouted. I was amazed at how calm she was, at least that was how she portrayed herself then.

We evacuated together with the patients, and moved to the assembly point.

After watching the fire from the hospital entrance and the firefighters who took quite some time to get into action, my friends and I decided that there was nothing that we could do there.

We were better off finding patients who have been evacuated and see what we could do to help.

I imagined it probably had some resemblance to a refugee camp site and perhaps had some similarity to a war zone. Everyone was in action and people from other departments were there. The emergency department specialist tried to put things under control.

I tried not to interfere and slow down the relief work, so I offered help in the simplest manner, like fanning the patients and moving the patients evacuated while other medical staff do other work requiring their skills.

The air was filled with smoke and the heat was suffocating, everyone had surgical masks but they hardly protect the patients or us from the smoke, just like it was pretty much useless in the annual haze we have, but that was all that we have got. N95 masks were scarce.

I looked at him and tried to initiate small talk to break the tense atmosphere. I said, "It's hot isn't it?" He replied, with a regretful voice, "Yeah, it was, I tried to save, but the smoke was too bad, we could not save those patients."

What I meant was the weather, but I did not realise was that he was one of those brave souls who attempted to go in and save the patients trapped in the fire.

"We could only leave them with the firefighters and the forensic, there is nothing we could do."

I could sense a great deal of guilt in his eyes. I did not know what to say but nodded. He risked his life and is now exhausted, but yet still trying to see what else he could do.

It was then when two strangers approached me and asked for directions. They said that they have been called by the undertaker to come and see the body. They were confused why the hospital was not the one that contacted them first instead of some undertaker.

I did not know how but I told them I will try to help. They probably didn't know who else to approach and they were not provided with much instructions initially.

I asked them for the name and after checking with another doctor on site, I led them to where the other families were gathered. While we walked under the drizzle, I asked one of the men regarding the family member they were looking for. I asked who the other man was, and he told me the other man was the patient's father.

When he told me more regarding the patient, I was flabbergasted. His description about his sister fits the patient I had a brief encounter with just a few days ago in the operation theatre. She was not a patient of mine, but I happened to see the procedure done on her.

I was almost certain that she was one of those trapped in the fire and could not be saved, but I dare not say something that was not verified. I felt really bad for the family members.

"I should not have sent her here if I knew this could happen. She was still alive and 'well' earlier," the brother said in regret.

I did not know how to correctly respond to them. The patient came to be treated but she was probably burnt beyond recognition. I cannot comprehend the least how it must have been for a father to come and identify his daughter's body, which was by then probably unidentifiable.

I could only pass them over to the counsellors, and hope and pray that they somehow find comfort, with time.

I wonder why out of all the victims, the family member they were looking for was the patient I had a brief encounter with. Sometimes I felt as if God wanted me to remember some things forever, and not to let it simply pass by me.

I thank God for the people, the staff. In times like this, I witnessed some of the most amazing things people can do together if they actually put others before their own interest; I witnessed how people responded courageously to the call to lead others albeit the sea of chaos.

While those brave and courageous individuals were commendable, I still grief for the patients and for Malaysia. Will Malaysia, now, at the cost of the lives of six patients, and many more who died indirectly, now result in a better facility, better healthcare for the majority of Malaysians? We always do firefighting rather than prevention and planning ahead. Will that now stop on account of those who died, that they will not die in vain?

At the same time, I felt angry. The fire was not simply the result of an accident. Yes, no one intended it to happen. But it was a tragedy that I believe could have been prevented. We need to be intentional in prevention. The only problem with us is the failure to realise what are urgent matters until it is sometimes too late.

The six patients were not the only victims. There are many more patients who were stable before the tragedy but deteriorated during the evacuation. The morbidity and mortality were high for critical patients who were transported in the emergency. Six died directly, but many others suffered indirectly by the fire. Many more are being victimised by the system over the years, unmentioned and unheard.

Will there be less spending on luxurious stuff, corruption and more budget for the real essential needs of the people?

The medical staff keep trying to save, but the system and the limited resources keep killing the patients, directly or indirectly. At downstream they try relentlessly to save those drowning but upstream they keep throwing people down into the river.

I did not remember her name back then, but now, I promise I will remember her forever. May the victims rest in peace and not die in vain.

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