As Diwali approaches – a time celebrating light over darkness – Shepparton paramedic Sanjeetpal Singh reflects on how his Sikh values of sewa (selfless service) shaped his journey from India to Ambulance Victoria (AV).
Born in India and growing up in a Sikh community, becoming a first responder was a logical career calling for Sanjeetpal.
He grew up with the Sikh practice of sewa, which is defined as ‘selfless service’ and focuses on acting selflessly and helping others without reward or personal benefit.
“I grew up with this mindset that you help people who need help,” Sanjeetpal said.
“That’s the essence of sewa, and in many ways, it mirrors the message of Diwali – bringing light and hope where it’s needed most.
Sanjeetpal moved to Australia in 2007 to chase his goal of becoming a paramedic, encouraged by friends who had already made the move and found more freedom, opportunities and a better lifestyle.
“It’s taken a long time for me to be where I want to be,” he said.
“Initially when I came to Australia, I worked in many different industries including as a taxi driver, a truck driver, a security officer, working at a car wash and eventually in Non-Emergency Patient Transport (NEPT).
“Once I financially set myself up to spend some time studying, I went back to university after 10 years and here I am, I achieved my dream.”
In November last year, Sanjeetpal moved to Shepparton to start his paramedicine career with AV as a Graduate Bridging Paramedic (GBP).
AV’s GBP program is designed to provide paramedicine graduates with the opportunity to consolidate their theoretical knowledge and skills while initially working in the medium acuity ambulance care setting.
The 16-month program sees GBPs spend six months working and completing learning tasks under direct supervision with the Medium Acuity Transport Service (MATS), before transitioning to an emergency ambulance.
Sanjeetpal said he believes his cultural background, being a migrant and having worked several different jobs, will benefit him in his paramedicine career.
“I think what I’ve learned from my background is how to be a human and to treat others like a human,” he said.
“Since moving to Australia, I’ve worked in jobs that paid very little and been part of a low socio-economic community, so I can understand how patients in these communities see life and how they think about medical care and what might be stopping them from reaching out for help.
“A lot of our work is about building rapport with our patients and reassuring them, rather than just treating them.
“One of my mentors told me that patients are never going to remember what medication you gave them, but they will always remember how you treated them.”
Sanjeetpal said he is feeling comfortable on the road, with a supportive team in Shepparton who have helped him learn and settle in.
He’s already received a commendation from colleagues across the health sector for his efforts at a complex case involving a homebirth.
“Both the mother and the baby ended up having really good outcomes, but for me, it was a challenging case psychologically,” Sanjeetpal said.
“It was also motivating to me to become better and while it showed me how challenging this job can be, it motivated me to keep going and keep doing a good job.”
Sanjeetpal said he was further motivated by another case which showed the difference he could make as a Sikh paramedic.
“We had to transport a younger patient having seizures, and their mother was obviously really worried,” he said.
“She came up to me and asked, ‘are you Punjabi?’, referring to the same geographical location where Sikhism originated, and I told her I was.
“She said, ‘I don’t need to worry, if you’re Sikh, I know my son is going to be safe’.
“That was really touching for me.”
Sanjeetpal is embracing the practice of sewa in choosing a career dedicated to helping others, but he said he’s received plenty of help himself to get where he is today.
“I want to thank my AV mentor from my first placement, which I did in Colac in 2021,” he said.
“Not only was he a great clinical mentor but he also motivated me and had unbelievable trust in me.
“My partner has also been incredible – while I was studying, she was the one working and backing me up.
“After 10 years, going back to university was really difficult for me and on the first day, I was so overwhelmed that I told myself I’d never go back.
“But I received a lot of support from my family, especially my brother, parents and my partner, who constantly encouraged me to stay focused on my studies and pursue what I truly wanted to do.”