Bayside Dental, Discovery Bay has been an integral part of our neighbourhood since it opened in 2010. We sit down with founder Dr Jain and his son Aryan to hear a heartwarming story
Dr Jain moved to Discovery Bay with his young family in 2009, a year before founding Bayside Dental, Discovery Bay. Since then, he and wife Cherie have raised two sons in DB, Navin, who is currently studying dentistry in Madrid, and Aryan, who boards at a school in Switzerland and has just taken his IB finals. Growing up, both Jain boys attended Discovery College and were active in community sports, playing tennis at the DBRC and rugby with the DB Pirates.
“DB has changed a lot – people have moved away, some have returned, a lot of new people have come in – but it remains a fantastic place to live,” opens Dr Jain, a resident of 15 years. “As a family we have always been community orientated, spending time at the club and doing what we can for local causes. The DB clinic is an extension of that: we raise funds for local charities and sponsor local sports events and clubs, taking every opportunity to give back.”
One such opportunity came in a roundabout way shortly after the pandemic, born out of a near tragic incident at Siena Park. During a cricket match, one of the batsmen collapsed with a heart attack and had to be given emergency CPR by the umpire. Immediate access to an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) was needed at this stage to stabilise the heartbeat. There are three AEDs in DB North Plaza within a 100-metre radius of the cricket pitch, including one at Bayside Dental, but at the critical moment no one on hand knew there location. Fortunately, in true Hong Kong style, the ambulance from Tung Chung arrived promptly and the cricketer was saved.
Hearing this story inspired Aryan , Dr Jain’s youngest, to create an app (AED – External Defibrillator) last Christmas detailing the location of all the AEDs in Hong Kong. “It’s important for doctors, dentists and people with CPR training to know that AEDs are available in Hong Kong, and where they are located,” Aryan says. “There are in fact thousands of AEDs in the territory, 20 in DB alone. In an emergency situation, you simply click on the app to find the nearest AED to you.
“Sudden cardiac arrest is among the leading causes of death in the world,” Aryan adds. “Currently, the only way to restore regular heart rhythm during cardiac arrest is to use an AED – with an electrical shock or defibrillation you have a 45% survival rate, compared to just 8% with chest compression and rescue breathing. However, because the average response time for first responders once 999 is called is eight to 12 minutes, and for each minute defibrillation is delayed the odds of survival are reduced by approximately 10%, having immediate access to an AED and someone who knows how to use one, is critical.”
“In the West, it is mandatory for dentists and doctors to have an AED on the premises but it’s not the case in Hong Kong,” Dr Jain adds. “At Diestel & Partners Group, we make sure we have the best equipment possible in all our clinics, including AEDs. At our DB, Tung Chung and Central clinics, we set out to serve the community. We do this by providing state-of-the art equipment which allows us to take good care of our friends and neighbours not just in the dentist’s chair but also in life-ordeath emergency situations. Our ability to do this will be greatly increased thanks to Aryan’s app.”
The launch of Aryan’s AED-External Defibrillator app coincides with Diestel & Partners Group’s 20th anniversary: Dr Jain and his team of dentists and hygienists are celebrating 20 years in Central, 14 years in DB and 12 years in Tung Chung.