Veteran fireman in coma after snake bite

[Xiahou Yuan]

Thursday November 18, 2010

Veteran fireman in coma after snake bite

By NELSON BENJAMIN
[email protected]

JOHOR BARU: Veteran fireman Mohd Safa Mausor has caught hundreds of snakes in his 30 years of service, but is now fighting for his life after being bitten by a king cobra. The 50-year-old fireman attached to the Kota Tinggi Fire and Rescue Department is in the intensive care unit of the Sultan Ismail Hospital. Recalling the incident, colleague Subory Md Isa, 40, said he and Mohd Safa rushed to a water treatment plant in Kota Tinggi after receiving a call at 12.37pm on Nov 10.

“The 3.35m-long cobra had gone into a pipe near the staff quarters. We used salt, hot water, sulphur and insecticide to flush it out,” he said, adding that after about 20 minutes, the snake’s tail was visible. Subory used a pole with a noose to catch the snake by its tail but it started getting aggressive and he had to let go. “Mohd Safa then tried to distract the snake but tripped and fell.

“The snake slithered towards his face but he managed to grab it by its head and both of us overpowered it. “We put the snake inside a bag to take it to the station,” he added. Mohd Safa did not realise that he had been bitten until about an hour later when he felt some discomfort. “I dropped him off at the hospital before taking the snake back to the station,” he said, adding that he was told later in the evening that Mohd Safa had slipped into a coma.

Kota Tinggi fire station chief Idris Ibrahim said a single snake bite mark was found on the right side of Mohd Safa’s leg below the knee. Newly appointed Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim, who visited Mohd Safa at the hospital, said he was in critical condition. “My men have been bitten in the past but this is the first time one of them is in a coma.” he said.

 

[Xiahou Yuan]

Go to hospitals, not clinics if bitten


Tuesday November 23, 2010

Go to hospitals, not clinics if bitten

PETALING JAYA: A person bitten by a snake should be rushed to a hospital, not a clinic, advised a first aid trainer. Examination officer for Selangor’s St John Ambulance of Malaysia, Teh Li Chang, said clinics did not usually stock anti-venom. He said anti-venom used to treat a patient differed according to the type of snake, so it was crucial to identify the species.

“If possible, a picture would help. The faster he is rushed to a hospital the better the chance of preventing the venom from spreading further,” he said. Cardiologist Datuk Dr Devan Pillay of Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre said only major hospitals had anti-venom as they were expensive and snake bites were rare here.

“The best first aid step to take is to tie a cloth above the bite to slow the venom from flowing up towards the heart,” said Dr Devan, adding that applying ice on the wound would also help delay the absorption of the venom. He said bites by venomous snakes could cause paralysis and severe bleeding.

 

[Xiahou Yuan]

Fireman wakes up from coma after snake attack more gung-ho about his job


Tuesday November 23, 2010

Fireman wakes up from coma after snake attack more gung-ho about his job

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI
[email protected]

JOHOR BARU: Veteran fireman Mohd Safa Mausor was in a coma for nine days after a snake bite. When he woke up, he became even more gung-hoabout his job. In fact, he said taking the bite was “worth it” as he had spared his colleague Subory Md Isa, 40, from being attacked by the snake.

All fired up: Mohd Safa showing his injured leg at the Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Baru Monday.

“I have been serving as a fireman for more than 30 years. It was the first time I was bitten. Well, there is always a first time for everything,” he said, laughing. Recounting the incident yesterday, Mohd Safa, 50, said he and Subory had gone to a water treatment plant in Kota Tinggi on Nov 10 to catch the 3.3m-long cobra in a pipe near the staff quarters.

“It was a routine catch. But the snake became aggressive and I had to distract it from attacking my colleague. “We managed to grab its head and overpower it and put it inside a bag,” he said, adding that he did not notice he had been bitten until they were on their way back to the Kota Tinggi Fire and Rescue Department.

The snake was later killed. Mohd Safa said he went for a check-up at the Kota Tinggi Hospital. However, he could not remember much about later events as he slipped into a coma. He is still warded at the Sultan Ismail Hospital and will undergo a minor procedure later on the right leg to treat his bite wound.

“I am thankful to my wife for being by my side from day one,” said the father of four children aged between 15 and 27. He is looking forward to returning to his home in Taman Mawar, Kota Tinggi. “This incident has not dampened my spirit. I hope to continue working as a fireman as long as my body is able,” he said.

 

[Xiahou Yuan]

Brave fireman in line for medals after life-saving act


Friday November 26, 2010

Brave fireman in line for medals after life-saving act

JOHOR BARU: Veteran fireman Mohd Safa Mausor who saved a colleague from a poisonous king cobra will be awarded a medal for distinguished service, among others. “Mohd Safa’s act to save his colleague is truly commendable,” Johor Fire and Rescue Department director Abdul Ghani Daud told The Star, adding that the 50-year-old fireman had been recommended for a medal for distinguished service.

He said another medal that could be awarded to Mohd Safa was the Pingat Jasa Bomba. The department had also given financial assistance to the the family of the fireman, who went into a nine-day coma after being bitten by the snake. Mohd Safa and fellow firefighter Subory Md Isa, 40, had gone to a water treatment plant in Kota Tinggi on Nov 10 to catch the snake following an alert by residents of the nearby government quarters.

It was supposed to be a routine catch but the snake reportedly became aggressive and Mohd Sofa had to distract it from attacking his colleague. The two men managed to overpower the snake and put it into a bag. Recalling the incident later, Mohd Safa said he did not realise that he had been bitten until they were returning to their station. The snake was killed.