When the phone rings at 2.30am, Gold Coast University Hospital interventional cardiologist Professor Kuljit Singh knows someone’s life may depend on the next hour.
Within minutes, he is on the road responding to a heart attack emergency as an entire hospital team mobilises behind the scenes to save a patient in crisis.
Professor Singh recently shared insight into the fast-paced overnight work carried out at Gold Coast University Hospital, including a weekend where six heart attack patients arrived within 24 hours.
“Every single one of them had a completely blocked artery, and we opened all of them,” he said.
The hospital’s cardiac response often begins before a patient even arrives, with paramedics contacting on-call cardiologists directly through a dedicated hotline. Doctors can then advise crews and prepare operating teams immediately.
Professor Singh said the goal is to reopen blocked arteries within 60 minutes of the initial phone call.
Despite more than 15 years of experience, including thousands of emergency procedures, he says the responsibility never feels routine.
“We do this every day, but when you stop and think this person is someone’s parent, sibling or partner, the impact really hits you,” he said.
He urged residents never to ignore unusual chest pain and to call an ambulance immediately rather than driving themselves to hospital.
Image source: goldcoast.health.qld.gov.au