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August 25, 2025
In over 15 years of practicing in Critical Care and Emergency Medicine, what troubles me most is not the complex or severe cases – but those patients who could have been saved, had they arrived earlier.
The reality of patients coming to the hospital too late, especially in cases of heart failure, stroke, heart attack, septic shock, or acute respiratory failure, remains all too common in Malaysia. Part of this comes from complacency – the mindset of “let’s wait and see” – and part from a lack of awareness or misplaced trust in home remedies.
About 37% of patients admitted for myocardial infarction (heart attack) arrived at the hospital more than six hours after their first chest pain.
Nearly 45% of stroke patients arrived after the “golden window,” making clot-busting therapy ineffective.
More than 1,200 annual deaths from septic shock in public hospital ICUs were linked to delayed treatment after prolonged fever or uncontrolled infection at home.
These numbers are not just statistics – to me, every number represents a heartbreaking story, a son, a mother, or a father who never returned home.
One case I will never forget:
A 52-year-old man was brought into the emergency department with severe chest pain, sweating, and dangerously low blood pressure. He went into cardiac arrest on the stretcher before we could transfer him to the ICU. His wife said, “He’d been in pain since early morning, but he thought it was just fatigue… so he endured it.”
We did everything possible, but he did not survive. His ECG confirmed acute myocardial infarction. If he had come to the hospital just a few hours earlier, his chance of survival would have been very high.
From my experience and patient feedback, common reasons include:
Complacency: Thinking symptoms are mild and will go away with rest.
Lack of awareness: Failing to recognize warning signs of heart attack, stroke, or sepsis.
Financial concerns: Fear of hospital costs, leading to delayed care and self-medication.
Belief in traditional remedies: Using oils, acupuncture, or simply “sleeping it off.”
The danger is that many serious illnesses initially appear subtle, but progress silently, making later treatment extremely difficult.
In medicine, the “golden hour” refers to the critical early period after dangerous symptoms appear, when timely intervention can mean survival and full recovery.
For example, in cardiovascular disease:
Myocardial infarction (heart attack): If treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within the first two hours, survival rates reach up to 95%. After six hours, this rate drops by nearly half.
Stroke: If clot-busting therapy (tPA) is given within 4.5 hours, the chance of full recovery is significantly higher.
In modern medicine, the key is not just getting to the hospital – but getting to the right place, the right doctor, at the right time.
Professional healthcare facilities ensure:
Modern diagnostic equipment: ECG, X-ray, CT-scan, echocardiography – enabling rapid detection of abnormalities.
Well-trained specialists: Able to analyze symptoms and order essential tests.
Evidence-based treatment protocols aligned with international standards.
Continuous monitoring and immediate intervention if conditions worsen.
No traditional remedy, no herbal oil can replace modern medicine when every minute of life is at stake.
As a doctor, my duty is not only to treat but also to educate and warn. My message to the community is this:
“If you experience unusual symptoms – don’t wait and see. Don’t let mild pain become a final farewell.”
We cannot control everything, but we can control our choices. Choose to seek care early. Choose to trust medicine. Choose to protect your loved ones with action, not false hope.
Having witnessed hundreds of unnecessary farewells, I urgently call on the community: do not let delay steal your chance at life.
August 29, 2025