Koh Sim Hock Pledges S$19,150 a Year to Xinjiang Hospital That Saved His Life

A 76-year-old Singaporean who survived a life-threatening medical emergency in China has pledged to donate 100,000 yuan, or about S$19,150, each year to the hospital that treated him. Koh Sim Hock’s contributions to Shache County People’s Hospital are intended to help financially disadvantaged patients in its intensive care department, according to reports by Xinjiang Daily and China Daily. Koh became critically ill while travelling in Xinjiang. On Oct. 14, as he was travelling from Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County to Shache, he developed acute high-altitude pulmonary oedema. The condition can cause fluid to build up in the lungs and make breathing difficult, and may become life-threatening without prompt care. His breathing worsened and his blood oxygen levels plunged. “In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, I was already completely unable to breathe,” Koh recalled, according to Xinjiang Daily. His wife said she was frightened when his blood oxygen reading fell from around 50 per cent to 38 per cent. Doctors found that Koh was also experiencing left-sided heart failure, respiratory failure and cardiogenic shock, a dangerous condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Reports said he had several existing health conditions, including a history of coronary artery stent implantation, high-risk hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, high potassium levels and impaired liver function. He was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care department for monitoring and treatment. Emergency and critical care specialist Zou Hai, from Shanghai’s Pudong New Area People’s Hospital, led the treatment effort alongside Shache’s intensive care team and local medical staff. Zou was part of a group of medical professionals sent to Xinjiang through a medical assistance programme, according to the reports. The hospital’s director said it was the first time the institution had received an individual donation designated for a specific purpose. Koh’s pledge will support assistance for patients in intensive care who cannot afford treatment, turning his own emergency into a commitment to help others.