Heroic pharmacist in Satun’s quick thinking saves choking infant

An infant child was saved from a life-threatening situation after choking on food, thanks to the quick actions of a pharmacist. The footage of the harrowing event was shared on social media, showing a distressed mother seeking help at a pharmacy.

At 11am today, June 28, pharmacist Napakkamon Luksana from Baan Khlong Kut Clinic Pharmacy in Satun shared details of the incident, which occurred at around 6pm yesterday. A couple rushed into the pharmacy with their infant child, pleading for help as the child was having convulsions and was unresponsive.

Napakkamon immediately took the child and placed it in a safe position. She instructed the grandmother to fetch water and a cloth to wipe the infant’s body while advising the father to call emergency services. Initial assessment revealed that the child had wide-open eyes, was unresponsive, and had involuntarily urinated and defecated.

Despite wiping the child’s body, Napakkamon noted that the child was not feverish. Drawing from her own experience with her niece’s febrile seizures, she concluded that a fever was not seizure-induced. Amidst the panic, she contemplated whether to rush the child to the hospital but decided to continue her efforts at the pharmacy.

Napakkamon questioned the mother about the child’s recent activities, suspecting that the symptoms could be due to choking. The mother confirmed that the child had eaten three small pieces of grape.

Acting swiftly, Napakkamon performed abdominal thrusts on the infant ten times, which prompted a faint response. After two more thrusts, the child let out a clear cry, signalling that they were out of immediate danger. The child was then transported to Satun Hospital for further care. Napakkamon reflected on the intense moments.

“I couldn’t just wait and do nothing. I had to act, even without formal training in such emergencies.”

She confessed that her knowledge came from watching various news clips and that any mother would struggle to remain composed in such a situation, reported KhaoSod.

Although trained in primary care during university, Napakkamon highlighted the lack of ongoing training in first aid for pharmacists. She expressed a desire for more comprehensive training programs to ensure pharmacists are better prepared for such emergencies.