Awareness
When chest pain, breathing problems or other worrying symptoms strike suddenly, calling for emergency medical help can make a critical difference.
Sharp pain
Earlier this year, Rubben Tlake, 46, woke up on a Sunday morning expecting an ordinary day. He was preparing breakfast before heading out to a function when a sharp pain suddenly struck between his shoulder blades.
The married Welkom ward councillor and father of a four-year-old daughter says he had experienced chest pain before. “But usually, I could sit down, rest, and then carry on with my day. This time was different. The pain between my shoulders became worse, I became dizzy and fell down. My wife came running. When I tried to stand up, it got worse. I’m a grown man – but the pain made me cry like a baby.”
His wife, Atalia, immediately called ER24.
Real help, real fast
Tlake says he’s never been entirely at ease around ambulances, but on that morning, he knew he needed help. Within minutes, ER24 paramedics arrived at his home in Welkom. ER24 Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP) Mpho Monyaki and Basic Ambulance Assistant (BAA) Nehemiah Mashego were the team who attended to him.
“When we arrived on scene, we immediately attached ECG monitoring equipment and began assessing his condition,” says Monyaki. “Given his symptoms, we suspected he was experiencing an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) – a group of conditions that includes unstable angina and heart attack.”
The ECG raised concerns that he could be having a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), a type of heart attack that may not show the classic ST-segment changes on an ECG. He needed urgent treatment and hospital care.
Tlake says the speed and professionalism of the ER24 team made an enormous difference.
“I was in a very bad state – I was in tears and couldn’t walk. They reassured me and made me feel calm. They gave me hope. The medication immediately made me feel better.”
The ER24 crew then transferred him to Mediclinic Welkom, where he was admitted to high care for further investigation and monitoring. He remained in hospital for six days while doctors conducted tests and managed his condition. “I was also diagnosed with chronic high blood pressure and was advised to take medication and make lifestyle changes,” he says.
A healthier future
Today, Tlake says the experience has changed the way he thinks about his health. He is taking things slowly, exercising more, and paying closer attention to his blood pressure and overall wellbeing.
But it also left him deeply grateful to the people who arrived when he needed them most. “I have never been so grateful,” he says. “I really appreciated what they did for me. They saved my life.”
The story came full circle when Tlake encountered the ER24 team again at an event a few weeks later. He made a point of stopping by to thank them. For Monyaki and Mashego, these moments are a powerful reminder of why they do what they do.
“We sometimes take it for granted because it’s part of what we do every day,” says Monyaki. “But when a patient acknowledges what you did for them, especially when every minute counted at the time, it feels incredible. It’s incredibly rewarding – probably the best feeling ever.”
Tlake’s experience is also a reminder that serious cardiac problems don’t always begin with the dramatic, crushing chest pain many people associate with a heart attack. Pain can occur in other parts of the upper body, including the back, and may be accompanied by dizziness, weakness, or a feeling of being unwell.
When symptoms are sudden, severe, or unusual, calling for emergency medical help quickly is critical.