Trinidad and Tobago asked to pray for musician Joey Ng Wai

TRINIDAD and Tobago is being asked to pray for musician Joey Ng Wai, 54. The self-taught master guitarist and music producer is currently warded in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Port of Spain General Hospital with pneumonia and is unconscious.

His sister Sharon Ng Wai-Pantin spoke to Newsday on January 3. She said he was hospitalised on December 29.

The musician lives alone in Maraval and got the flu two and a half weeks before, Ng Wai-Pantin said.

She added that he tried to treat the flu on his own, but it did not work.

“Joey got this flu recently which attacks your chest. We did not know Joey had sleep apnea, and because he has sleep apnea, it builds up carbon (dioxide) in his lungs, and because he was not sleeping well, the apnea was messing him up.”

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep.

Ng Wai's carbon monoxide levels were significantly above healthy levels, by his sister's account. Ng Wai-Pantin said by the time he got to the hospital the carbon dioxide in his lungs had built up and he was in a bad situation.

Shesaid the hospital’s doctors did all they could to resuscitate him and he is currently unconscious. She thanked the ICU doctors, describing them as fabulous.

Ng Wai has been intubated to assist his breathing.

She said there was little improvement on January 3 but the family was hopeful and it was better than no improvement.

“Every day they are monitoring him,” she said.

She asked all of TT to pray for him and to lift him up.

Ng Wai is known for his involvement in bands including Zoom, Frantic and Second Imij and his work on local classics such as Golo, Dhantal Fever and Jump.