Paediatrician saves flyer after suspected heart attack on Paris-Del flight

Kolkata: A paediatrician travelling from Paris to Kolkata via Delhi helped revive a critically ill passenger who collapsed midair on an overnight Air India flight. Prabir Bhaumik, who was on flight AI-142, had dozed off after the aircraft took off from Charles de Gaulle Airport at 8.45 pm local time on Wednesday. He woke up on hearing an emergency announcement asking if there was a doctor on board.Bhaumik responded and was taken to the rear galley, where he found a 39-year-old passenger lying on the floor while a crew member tried to administer oxygen.“The passenger’s oxygen saturation, heart rate and blood pressure were falling, and his pulse was weak. I suspected he suffered a myocardial infarction and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. I instructed another person to use an Ambu bag mask,” the doctor told TOI on Friday.Bhaumik said he knew aspirin had to be administered, but it could be given only when the passenger was conscious. The passenger was given three doses of sorbitrate under his tongue at five-minute intervals while his blood pressure was monitored. “Samson, the patient, repeatedly regained consciousness and collapsed as his vital signs deteriorated. We had to monitor his condition every five minutes and resume CPR whenever his condition worsened. The captain repeatedly sought advice on whether an emergency landing was required. Thankfully, we managed to stabilise him after four hours,” Bhaumik said.Bhaumik handed the passenger over to a medical team when the flight landed in Delhi around 10 am on Thursday.“It was an experience I will never forget. I have encountered many emergencies involving children, but handling a critically ill adult 40,000 ft in the air with extremely limited medical support was a learning experience,” said Bhaumik, who owns a multispeciality paediatric hospital in Kolaghat.Bhaumik had travelled to Paris for the screening of ‘Pagla Ghoda’, a film he produced. Directed by Sekhar Das, the film is based on the eponymous play by theatre director Badal Sarkar. Air India said the flight was at cruising altitude when the emergency occurred and that the crew and the doctor on board handled the situation efficiently.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in KolkataStay updated with the latest Kolkata news. Download the TOI App.