Medway doctor saves volunteer's life at gym

Bob Smyth (middle) suffered a cardiac arrest while working out in the hospital's gym

A doctor saved a hospital volunteer's life after finding him suffering a cardiac arrest in the staff gym.

Dr Srinivas Vinjamuri said he popped his head around the door of the gym at Medway Maritime Hospital in Kent when he came across 74-year-old Bob Smyth lying on the floor on 20 February.

The consultant physician began CPR on Mr Smyth when he found no pulse and put out an arrest call.

Mr Smyth, who was placed in an induced coma in the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU), said that without Dr Vinjamuri "I wouldn't be here today".

A site team, based near the gym, assisted Dr Vinjamuri in carrying out CPR and using a defibrillator on Mr Smyth.

After 16 minutes, his heart started to beat for itself. He was then transferred to the emergency department, before being moved to the ICU where he was ventilated and put to sleep for about 36 hours.

'Forever grateful'

The volunteer, who has been at the hospital for nine years, moved to the coronary care unit before going home.

Just three weeks later, he was back volunteering.

"On the day it happened I signed off as normal but I can't remember anything after," he said.

"The first recollection I have is on the critical care unit. When I woke up my wife Grace was there and the first thing I said to her was 'I better let them know I can't continue with my work'."

On his return to work, Mr Smyth said: "It was overwhelming to see some of the people who worked on me and I will be forever grateful to them.

"Dr Vinjamuri said he doesn’t know why he came into the gym but lucky for me he did."