Jeyananthan Muthukumaru works as an Orderly Coordinator and is often based in the Emergency Department.
He has been with Counties Manukau since 2009 and will be receiving his 10+ Long Service Award next week.
A refugee from the Sri Lanka civil war, Jeyananthan says he has been in New Zealand for 17 years he feels settled and at home.
“I am so proud to be working here at Middlemore Hospital for fifteen years now,” he says.
“Each day our colleagues work to save people’s lives.”
A caring nature and compassion are values that Jeyananthan brings to his role here.
Those values are also what led him to act when he was first on the scene of an accident recently.
“Here at Counties, we value kindness and helping people and I had to stop and help. I couldn’t just drive by as I witnessed someone else do that night.
“I work in health care and am a church leader and so it felt like my duty.
“I was on the phone to the ambulance and doing CPR at the same time.” he explains.
Unfortunately, the person had passed away.
Although familiar with seeing sudden death and tragedy in his work at the emergency department, Jeyananthan says the experience will stay with him for a long time.
“I was so hurt and sad we couldn’t save his life.”
“My team and managers were so supportive. I came to work very tired and upset that day, but they told me to take a few days off to recover and to do the counselling the police offer which I did.”