A 36-year-old Dubai resident, Shervin Sasidharan, owes his life to a stroke of fate — and the quick response of a cardiologist who happened to be nearby when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on the pavement.
Sasidharan had just finished work and was walking toward the metro station when his vision blurred and his legs gave way. He collapsed unconscious, his breathing slowed to just four breaths per minute.
Luckily, Dr Niraj Gupta, a specialist in interventional cardiology at NMC Royal Hospital in Dubai Investment Park (DIP), was across the street taking a short break for karak chai. He noticed a small crowd forming and immediately rushed over.
“I saw people standing around someone on the ground. When I reached him, I realised he was sweating heavily and barely breathing,” Dr Niraj said. “It was a cardiac arrest and we had to act quickly.”
Recognising the critical emergency, Dr Niraj immediately called for an ambulance and began performing CPR. Two defibrillator shocks were administered on the way to the hospital, and a third one inside the emergency department, where a full Code Blue was activated.
The emergency, ICU, and cardiology teams sprang into action. Sasidharan was diagnosed with acute inferior wall ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) and ventricular fibrillation (VF), life-threatening conditions that required immediate intervention. Angiography revealed 100 per cent blockage in his right coronary artery and 90 per cent in his left.
Four drug-eluting stents were placed to restore blood flow. Remarkably, within just two days, Sasidharan was back on his feet.
“I didn’t even know I had diabetes,” he said after his recovery. “I thought I was healthy. If the doctor hadn’t been there that moment, I wouldn’t be alive today. I am just so thankful.”
Dr Niraj, who performed the procedure without pause, highlighted the growing incidence of heart attacks in young adults. “People in their 30s shouldn’t be experiencing this. But stress, poor diet, smoking, and high cholesterol are major contributors,” he said.
He urged residents to take their health seriously and undergo routine screenings such as Treadmill Tests (TMT), lipid profiles, blood sugar level checks, and CT scans of the heart.
For Sasidharan, the brush with death has been life-changing. “I’ve cut down on junk food, started walking every day, and made my health the top priority. I got a second chance, and I won’t take it for granted,” he said.