PUBLISHED ONSeptember 25, 2023 3:17 AMByLim KeweiWhen he saw an elderly woman stumble and fall to the ground, a SBS Transit staff immediately rushed over to help her up and treat her wound.
The incident happened near Saint Michael's Bus Terminal in Whampoa at around 1pm last Wednesday (Sept 20), Shin Min Daily News reported.
Speaking to the Chinese evening daily, food centre manager Zhang Huoxing said that he was on his way to have lunch at a nearby coffee shop when he saw a elderly woman with a walking stick fall.
A SBS Transit staff who also witnessed the scene ran out of the interchange office to check on the situation, before helping the woman to stand up and move to a seat near the boarding berths, Zhang said.
When he approached the pair to help, the unnamed staff returned to the office to retrieve a first aid kit to disinfect her wounds.
Two other bus captains also assisted in looking after the 77-year-old woman who was on her way to buy lunch at the nearby coffee shop, according to Zhang.
"She said she didn't see the kerb and fell, scraping her skin," he explained.
The elderly woman also reportedly refused to visit a clinic for her wounds after the incident.
Zhang added that a few other staff members eventually accompanied her to the coffee shop, though she insisted on going home by herself.
Zhang revealed the elderly woman has cataracts — an eye condition where cloudy areas form on the lens of the eye, affecting her vision.
The woman's daughter had been reluctant to let her go out alone to buy food as she is too old to undergo cataract surgery, he said.
"Grandma also specifically asked us to not tell her daughter [about the incident] and not to send her home," Zhang added.
While they had also offered to deliver meals to her in the future, the woman had reportedly turned them down, saying that she wanted to go out by herself.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, Grace Wu, spokesperson of SBS Transit, said that a bus captain, named Lai Weng Soon, and a passer-by "rushed to assist an elderly lady who had fallen on the pavement in front of the St. Michael Bus Terminal". They helped her to her feet and supported her to the terminal for assistance.
Interchange supervisor Aaron Tan and assistant interchange supervisor Steven Wong also helped attend to the elderly woman and provide her with first aid.
Wu added: "We are very proud of our staff for going beyond their normal duties, by extending care and kindness to those in need. In this case, it was an elderly lady and their compassion warms our hearts.
"We will be commending them for their kind deed. We would also like to thank the passer-by for lending a helping hand in the situation. Together, we can all make our community a better and a caring one."