Source: Singapore Police Force
What began as a routine night shift for Sergeant (Sgt) Muhammad Ammar Bin Abdul Razak on 19 Sept quickly turned into a life-or-death situation involving a choking baby.
Shortly after starting his shift at Tampines Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC), Sgt Ammar received what seemed like a standard dispatch from the Police Operations Command Centre (POCC).
A man had reported that his domestic helper was involved in an argument with his wife at their Tampines Street 33 home.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Sgt Ammar and his partner then proceeded to the scene, expecting to mediate a household argument.
“In this case, we believed that separating both parties and having proper mediation would solve the issue,” Sgt Ammar recalled.
However, moments into their intervention, a mother’s terrified cries shattered the calm.
Her baby, who was lying in the hall, had suddenly stopped responding.
“She ran towards me with her baby, shouting: “Help, officer! My baby is choking!” Sgt Ammar recounted.
Instinctively, he took the baby into his arms.
The child’s cheeks were turning purple, and he struggled to cry.
Drawing from his first-aid training, which he completed just months earlier, and his experience caring for his nephew as a newborn, Sgt Ammar sprang into action.
Source: Singapore Police Force
He placed the baby facedown on his forearm and delivered several firm blows to the baby’s back in hopes of clearing the airway.
“In first aid, we’re taught to prioritise life over limb,” he said.
“When it comes to a newborn, it’s hard to feel the same way, but I had to do what was necessary.”
After delivering the back blows, he gently turned the baby over.
The infant then vomited fluid as the mother looked on in distress, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The tension in the room was palpable as the baby remained silent until it finally started crying.
SCDF paramedics arrived shortly after and confirmed that the infant was stable.
The child was later taken to the hospital for further checks.
Source: Singapore Police Force
The unexpected incident did not distract Sgt Ammar from the job at hand.
He subsequently spoke with the husband and assisted the wife in calmly settling the initial disagreement.
For Sgt Ammar, who first joined the force as a police national service (PNSF) officer in 2019 before becoming a regular in 2022, the experience was deeply personal.
“This incident affected me in many ways, one of which was to make me realise that as an officer, I must be as well-prepared as possible for any situation,” he said.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.