It's our duty to help passengers' in need: Labrador Park station staff who paid for injured cyclist's Grab ride back home - Mothership

They paid for his Grab fare home out of their own pocket.

53-year-old Michael Oh was cycling to work on Oct. 5 when he fell, landing face-first on the pavement.

At the time, he did not realise how serious his injuries were.

Luckily, Labrador Park MRT station was nearby, so he went into the station to clean his wounds in the MRT toilet.

However, the bleeding did not stop, no matter how hard Oh tried to stem it with tissues.

A passer-by eventually noticed him and alerted an SMRT Trains staff member.

The staff member, assistant station manager Muhammad Taufik bin Mohamed Rais, 32, quickly went over to assist Oh.

Seeing the severity of the gash on Oh's forehead, Taufik called station manager Luqmannul Hakim bin Yahya (Hakim), 37, to bring over a first-aid kit.

The pair bandaged Oh's wound and later paid for a Grab ride for him after he declined their offer to call an ambulance.

Speaking to Mothership on Nov. 3, the two SMRT Trains staff members recounted the events of that day.

Taufik recalled that he was at the station's passenger service centre when a commuter alerted him to an injured cyclist.

He went over and saw Oh, who was bleeding profusely and had a large gash on his forehead.

Taufik quickly called Hakim, who was attending to other duties, to retrieve the first-aid kit.

When Hakim arrived, he noticed that Oh was repeatedly touching his forehead and mumbling in response to questions.

The pair administered first aid and helped stop the bleeding. They also offered to call an ambulance, as the wound appeared to be "quite deep".

"Along the way, we told him this injury need to go for hospital, but he still [declined] as he want to go back first to put his bicycle," Taufik said.

The pair accompanied Oh back up to the ground floor, where Hakim eventually decided to book a Grab ride home for him.

"Since he don't want to take the ambulance, I was like, 'Just book the Grab for him lah'," he said.

Hakim paid for the ride, which cost about S$27, out of his own pocket.

The pair recalled that Oh was very thankful and appreciative of their generosity.

He even took down their names so that he could thank them later.

The two were more sanguine about their role in helping, saying that it was their duty to help passengers.

The following day, on Oct. 6, Oh's brother, Amos Oh, visited Labrador Park MRT station to reimburse the pair for the Grab fare.

However, they declined his offer, Amos told Mothership.

Money can be earned back, but safety is more important, was their takeaway.

Amos eventually bought snacks for them and insisted that they accept the items as a token of appreciation for helping his brother.

"I just want to take this opportunity to say a great thank you to all of them who had helped Michael, when he fell, in one way or another. Words can’t express our gratitude, please keep up the good work guys," Amos said.

He added that he felt their actions deserved to be commended and could also encourage others to "lend their helping hands whenever possible".

This was the first time the pair had encountered such an incident, as they were more accustomed to handling cases involving fainting or seizures.

They admitted that they were initially shocked when they first saw Oh, but felt a sense of accomplishment after helping him.

As part of their jobs, the pair shared that they are trained in first aid and attend refresher courses every two years.

Hakim, who has been with SMRT Trains for 13 years, shared that besides overseeing and supporting the station's day-to-day operations, they also respond to incidents and emergencies, including train-related incidents and medical emergencies.

Taufik, who has been with SMRT for six years, added that the safety of the station and its commuters always comes first for them.

Thanks to the two staff members' assistance, Oh was able to get help quickly.

Amos shared that after Oh reached home, their other brother, Sean, quickly drove him to the emergency department at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH).

Oh said was subsequently diagnosed with multiple facial bone fractures.

The fall also left him with a deep cut on his forehead that caused heavy bleeding, as well as significant swelling and bruising around his left eye.

He underwent two operations and was hospitalised for almost 10 days, from Oct. 5 to 14.

He was eventually discharged on Oct. 14 and is now in stable condition.

However, a full recovery is expected to take a few months, Amos shared.

As of Nov. 4, Amos said Oh was recovering well, although his fractured bones would still need a few more months to heal.

"He would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone again, who had rendered him assistance then," Amos said.