Off-duty Doctor Guo Mingyan Rescues Passerby on His Way Home

At 2:30 p.m. on October 29, an old lady waiting in line suddenly fell facedown to the road shoulder at the bus stop opposing the Yi’an Square on Jiansheliu Road, Guangzhou. Just when the people around were at a loss what to do, a young man wearing glasses rushed forward, asked the crowd to call an ambulance, and knelt down to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the old lady. With the timely rescue, the old lady came to herself.

The young man’s name is Guo Mingyan, a “post-80s” doctor from the Department of Anesthesia of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital. At 2:30 p.m. on October 29, Guo Mingyan was going home after a night shift and a morning’s overtime. When he was waiting for the shuttle bus, he heard a scream. He turned around and saw an old lady faint and fall. The crowd stepped forward to help but no one knew what to do.

Doctor Guo Mingyan

"Please step back and keep the air flowing." At the crucial moment, Guo Mingyan rushed forward, dispersed the crowd, and turned the old lady over. Her lips were dark, and her teeth were bleeding. No breath. Faint pulse. No response. “Please call 120! Hurry!” shouted Guo Mingyan, to a woman nearby with a mobile phone in her hand.

At the same time, Guo Mingyan began to performe CPR on the old lady. Five minutes later, the old lady came to herself with lips red, pulse stable and eyes slightly opened. People on the spot cheered and gave a big applause to this unknown hero.

When the shuttle bus arrived, Guo Mingyan confirmed the lady’s stable condition and took the initiative to call her family. After communicating with her family members, he walked the old lady onto the bus and accompanied her to the terminus until she was with her family members. He told her family to send her to hospital for reexamination as soon as possible and then left silently.

Two days later, the news of Guo’s rescue spread around. When interviewed, Guo Mingyan said that saving lives happened around him everyday. “In fact, it was a natural response for a medical worker. On that occasion, I believe any teacher and colleague in our hospital will take no hesitation to help. I just happened to be there. I feel very happy that I could help the old lady back to her life before it was too late.”

English Source from Sun Yat-Sen University

Edited by Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital