Wales: Man Dies From Cardiac Arrest During 9-Hour Wait For Ambulance

• David Bye collapsed from his bed and developed a fatal cardiac arrest while waiting for an ambulance to rush him to a medical facility
• His wife, Pauline Bye, revealed that he had a history of heart disease and lymphedema that frequently needed inpatient care
• She expressed disappointment over the nine-hour delay given that she constantly made calls seeking urgent help

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Wales - A man suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while waiting for an ambulance to take him to the hospital.

His wife, Pauline Bye, has shared the heart-wrenching details of the loss of David Bye, explaining that although they sought help for nine hours after he collapsed from bed, assistance arrived too late.

Pauline revealed to Wales Online that David had a history of heart disease and lymphoedema following a triple bypass and aortic valve replacement four years prior, and he frequently needed inpatient care at Withybush Hospital.

"I became extremely worried about David's condition, so I called 999 at 6 pm for an ambulance, but was told none were available. I called again at midnight and was still informed that no ambulances were available and advised to keep David as comfortable as possible. By then, David was talking to me but seemed increasingly confused, which I feared might indicate a cardiac arrest," she said.

How did David Bye die?

Pauline described using bedding and cushions to make David comfortable as he complained of back pain, although he had no other injuries and his breathing seemed stable.

However, his condition worsened over time; he became more confused, sleepy, and eventually stopped responding.

"I rang ambulance control again at 3.15am, and once more, was told no ambulances were available. During that call, David suffered a cardiac arrest," she explained.

Once the urgency was recognised, a rapid response team arrived within minutes, taking over from Pauline with the cardiac massage.

They were soon joined by additional rapid responders, two fire engines, and an ambulance.

While Pauline appreciated the prompt action of the emergency responders when they eventually showed up, she expressed deep frustration over the nine-hour delay, describing it as an unforgivable ordeal.

"I'm very angry about this. It has been a horrible experience and a tremendous shock. I might have understood if there was a delay of a couple of hours, but nine hours seems unforgivable, especially given how quickly they arrived once David began to die," she said.

Grade 2 girl dies after kidney fund shortfall

In other news, a Grade Two girl from Kisumu who was seeking help for a kidney transplant died.

Her condition took time to be diagnosed until the family landed at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, where she was given two weeks to live, within which the procedure was necessary.

Apart from the cash needed for the kidney transplant procedure, the young girl also needed KSh 300,000 for the hospital bill, which they could not raise.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke