'Thank you for trying': Doctor shares heartfelt exchange with wife of passenger who died on SIA Milan-bound flight

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'Thank you for trying': Doctor shares heartfelt exchange with wife of passenger who died on SIA Milan-bound flight​

Dr Desmond Wai Chun Tao was onboard a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight bound for Milan when a passenger lost consciousness and, despite efforts to resuscitate, subsequently died.

PHOTO: Instagram/Wai Chun Tao, AsiaOne file



PUBLISHED ON November 07, 2025 10

www.asiaone.com

A passenger on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Singapore to Milan lost consciousness after take-off and died despite efforts to resuscitate him.

Dr Desmond Wai, who was on SIA flight SQ378 from Singapore to Milan on Nov 5, shared with 8world how he heard an announcement asking if there were any doctors available to assist with a medical emergency two hours after takeoff.

The gastroenterologist and hepatologist posted a video on TikTok on Thursday (Nov 6) night recounting the incident.

"Some passenger stopped breathing on the plane," he recounted. "They woke me up at 2am [and] asked me to help. So from 2am to 2.30am we did [cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)] and failed."

He said that he, along with two other doctors, went to the rear of the cabin to provide assistance and found a middle-aged man lying unconscious on the floor.

The man had no pulse, and when the crew's use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) failed, the three doctors took turns performing CPR.

The deceased was a terminal cancer patient, and his wife was also on the plane at the time, reported 8world.

"The three of us felt there was no point continuing. [His] pupils were dilated, there was no spontaneous heartbeat or movement and his heart had stopped," said Dr Wai.

Dr Wai also revealed that the deceased's wife approached him after the incident.

"The wife of the deceased came to me in tears, and she said, 'Thank you, doctor for trying'," he said.

"That was the most touching moment."

AsiaOne has reached out to SIA and Dr Wai for comments.

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[Leongsam]

What the hell is a terminal cancer patient doing on a plane he should be at a whorehouse.

 

[syed putra]

What the hell is a terminal cancer patient doing on a plane he should be at a whorehouse.

Whore house or horse house where ivermectin are kept?

 

[Geneco]

Whore house or horse house where ivermectin are kept?

This kind reach terminal stage le usually his doctors won't even dare to mention about alternative combination therapy when their standard of care protocols failed.

Just milk him 9696 and move on le...

 

[eatshitndie]

long gone out of body because his soul was roaming the aisle checking out chiobu flight attendants’ arses.

 

[Kotekbengkok]

Terminal cancer patient and he is flying economy at the back of the plane? Even a normal person feels stressed with the prospect of 12 hrs straped to a narrow seat with a flight departure at midnight!!. If he had spent his money on a biz class , he could have relaxed and slept all the way on a flat bed and may have lived to complete the journey and die peacefully at home in Milan. What was he saving his money for??

 

[porcaputtana]

Desmond Wai is a well known media whore ridiculed by the medical community. A lot of his shit are staged and choreographed for the purpose of self glorification. This includes his daily tasteless FB and Instagram posts and pointless letters to ST forum page. Considered a disgrace and a joke by his peers and imported trash from HK.

The 2 doctors who performed the CPR remained nameless and did not kick up a fuss. Doctors perform Good Samaritan acts everyday and everywhere. Only Desmond Wai will notify media when the plane touches down in Italy and get his name published for doing CPR on a corpse.

 

[True Believer]

Terminal cancer patient and he is flying economy at the back of the plane? Even a normal person feels stressed with the prospect of 12 hrs straped to a narrow seat with a flight departure at midnight!!. If he had spent his money on a biz class , he could have relaxed and slept all the way on a flat bed and may have lived to complete the journey and die peacefully at home in Milan. What was he saving his money for??

The dying man was thinking of his dependants.

 

[True Believer]

Desmond Wai is a well known media whore ridiculed by the medical community. A lot of his shit are staged and choreographed for the purpose of self glorification. This includes his daily tasteless FB and Instagram posts and pointless letters to ST forum page. Considered a disgrace and a joke by his peers and imported trash from HK. The 2 doctors who performed the CPR remained nameless and did not kick up a fuss. Doctors perform Good Samaritan acts everyday and everywhere. Only Desmond Wai will notify media when the plane touches down in Italy and get his name published for doing CPR on a corpse.

Dr Desmond Wai is trying to obtain maximum exposure to help his private medical practice.

 

[True Believer]

Dr Koh Poh Koon is less savvy at publicity

 

[porcaputtana]

Dr Desmond Wai is trying to obtain maximum exposure to help his private medical practice.

If he needs to resort to this type of desperate shameless publicity clearly his private practice isn't doing very well

Immediately locked himself inside the aircraft toilet and livestream his heroic act of resuscitating a corpse . All on FB. Go watch.

 

[porcaputtana]

Dr Koh Poh Koon is less savvy at publicity
View attachment 232116

He is no longer a full time practicing clinician

This kind of wayang is normal for a neophyte politician . Nothing wrong.

 

[WangChuk]

terminal cancer patient ... why still CPR? pls let him go peacefully .... dont torture him and his family by reviving him at this moment .... can claim insurance somemore to help family ....

 

[True Believer]

If he needs to resort to this type of desperate shameless publicity clearly his private practice isn't doing very well
Immediately locked himself inside the aircraft toilet and livestream his heroic act of resuscitating a corpse . All on FB. Go watch.

Private practice is rather saturated these days, coupled with the high costs of rental and staff, so specialists need to do all kinds of social media publicity to promote their practice.

 

[True Believer]

He is no longer a full time practicing clinician. This kind of wayang is normal for a neophyte politician . Nothing wrong.

Dr Koh Poh Koon is promoting himself as a caring MP, but this stunt backfired spectacularly.

 

[Papsmearer]

What the hell is a terminal cancer patient doing on a plane he should be at a whorehouse.

he is was on his way to the best whorehouse in Europe, in Milan.

 

[Papsmearer]

Terminal cancer patient and he is flying economy at the back of the plane? Even a normal person feels stressed with the prospect of 12 hrs straped to a narrow seat with a flight departure at midnight!!. If he had spent his money on a biz class , he could have relaxed and slept all the way on a flat bed and may have lived to complete the journey and die peacefully at home in Milan. What was he saving his money for??

His wife want him to quick quick die to avoid pain and suffering? So fly econ class

 

[uniboi]

Desmond Wai is a well known media whore ridiculed by the medical community. A lot of his shit are staged and choreographed for the purpose of self glorification. This includes his daily tasteless FB and Instagram posts and pointless letters to ST forum page. Considered a disgrace and a joke by his peers and imported trash from HK.

The 2 doctors who performed the CPR remained nameless and did not kick up a fuss. Doctors perform Good Samaritan acts everyday and everywhere. Only Desmond Wai will notify media when the plane touches down in Italy and get his name published for doing CPR on a corpse.

The other 2 doctors are the real heroes who move on with life than to announce some stranger’s death over the media. I see Wai Despo.

 

[uniboi]

Desmond Wai is a well known media whore ridiculed by the medical community. A lot of his shit are staged and choreographed for the purpose of self glorification. This includes his daily tasteless FB and Instagram posts and pointless letters to ST forum page. Considered a disgrace and a joke by his peers and imported trash from HK.

The 2 doctors who performed the CPR remained nameless and did not kick up a fuss. Doctors perform Good Samaritan acts everyday and everywhere. Only Desmond Wai will notify media when the plane touches down in Italy and get his name published for doing CPR on a corpse.

Empty vessels make the loudest noise

 

[uniboi]

Private practice is rather saturated these days, coupled with the high costs of rental and staff, so specialists need to do all kinds of social media publicity to promote their practice.

Likely they still get to funds to do research or paid to teach medical students. They ain’t like most entrepreneurs who have to worry about economic downturn. Haven’t we seen some private clinics that are often very empty but still running for years?