KOTA BARU: DR Afiq Izzudin A. Rahim, known as Dr Afiq to his family and friends, is a young doctor serving in the Badang health centre near the famous Pantai Cahaya Bulan here.
His Facebook post on social media about the difficulties he faced in bringing a patient who was very sick from the health centre to the hospital during the floods last December was shared by his friends and went viral, subsequently turning him into a local hero of sorts.
“My Facebook posts were more of a personal diary and accessible only by close friends. However, one of them shared posted it on the Internet in the aftermath of the December floods, in the state and it went viral.”
Dr Afiq, 29, has since written a book in Bahasa Malaysia about his experience in handling the crisis at the health centre during the floods, and other experiences.
The title of the book is his now famous quote, “I need a helicopter. My patient is dying”, and has been in the market since last month.
“I didn’t plan to write the book, but several publishers contacted me after the incident became knownmy writing went viral. However, I did not promise them anything as I was busy with my work besides assisting a non-governmental organisation to help flood victims in Kuala Krai.
“A publisher kept calling until I finally relented and agreed to the project. The book is a compilation of my Facebook posts and additional facts.”
Recounting the incidents that led to him writing the book, Dr Afiq said the Badang clinic, where he had been working, for more than a year at the time was cut off from Kota Baru by the floods for four days.
During that period, there were many critical cases, with several patients having to be evacuated to the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) by several helicopter flights.
Dr Afiq, who graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, said he received another critical case on the morning of Dec 28.
“A young housewife gave birth and had a cervical tear, causing her to bleed profusely. We sewed up the wound but the bleeding did not stop. She went into shock and her blood pressure dipped, leaving her and finally she became unconscious.
“I contacted the flood operations room for a helicopter, but none was available. After some time, an agency called, saying that a helicopter was on the way to pick up the patient.
“However, a worker from the agency called back five minutes later to inform me that the helicopter had been put on hold for a VVIP to visit the flood areas.
“I was so frustrated that I shouted into the handphone, surprising other members of the health team,” he said.
Dr Afiq said after waiting for more than four hours, a helicopter from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency landed at the SMK Badang field about noon to ferry the patient to HUSM.
He said he was relieved when he was informed later that the woman survived the ordeal.
On his posts on his Facebook page following the experience, Dr Afiq said he received several telephone calls from his superiors to enquire about his health and the conditions at the clinic.
Dr Afiq, who is married with two children, said the book was dedicated to the unsung heroes in the flood operations — from Rela members, army truck drivers, helicopter pilots and the health staff.
“I hope to donate the proceeds from the book’s sales to a fund for the flood victims.”