S'pore actor Marcus Chin suffers heart attack, now recovering after surgery

Singaporean actor Marcus Chin was sent to the hospital following a heart attack on Oct. 7.

According to a statement seen by Mothership, his management company King Kong Media Production (King Kong Media) said that Chin had felt unwell while filming at Mediacorp in the morning of Oct. 7.

The 71-year-old actor underwent an immediate bypass surgery on the same day after doctors found that his condition was "life-threatening".

Experienced pain while filming

Chin had been filming a short video with fellow actor Mark Lee prior to the incident.

The company said that he started to feel unwell at around 10:55am and decided to take a short break.

After a brief rest, he went back to work.

However, five minutes later, he experienced symptoms, such as chills, cold sweats, severe discomfort, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.

Lee promptly called an ambulance after seeing Chin's worsening situation, and he was sent to the National University Hospital's emergency department in a conscious state.

Doctors found blocked arteries

A medical examination revealed that Chin was suffering from coronary artery disease caused by blockage in the arteries supplying oxygenated blood to the heart.

Doctors found that one artery was fully blocked, and two others showed signs of obstruction.

Due to the life-threatening nature of the condition, he immediate underwent a coronary artery bypass surgery at 1pm.

The operation was successfully completed at around 2pm.

Currently recovering

According to King Kong Media, Chin will need to stay in the hospital for observation for three to four days.

He can be discharged to rest at home if his condition shows no major issues.

Chin has also been advised by his doctor to rest for at least a month.

He should also avoid overexertion once he recovers.

King Kong Media has already begun coordinating his upcoming work arrangements.

The company said:

"Chin originally had a packed schedule for the next few months, including stage plays, dialect dramas, musical performances, hosting, acting, live broadcasts, and leading tours, all of which must be postponed or cancelled."

In their statement, King Kong Media also thanked everyone for their care and wished him a speedy recovery.

Top photos via Marcus Chin 陈建彬/Facebook & King Kong Media Production