After prompt action saves flyer’s life, crew honours doctor

After prompt action saves flyer’s life, crew honours doctor

Mohammed Wajihuddin & Saurabh Sinha TNN

New Delhi: 06.11.2021

An hour into Vistara’s Delhi-Doha flight this Tuesday, Dr Nadeem Jilani got alerted when an announcement was made to check if there was a doctor on board. A passenger had fallen unconscious in the lavatory and he lay on the floor near it frothing at the mouth, prompting the call from the crew.

Dr Jilani, who was returning home in Qatar after attending his elder brother’s funeral in Aligarh, immediately identified himself and gave basic life support that saved the passenger. Grateful crew members thanked the paediatrician in a unique way — by first upgrading him to the business class and then lining up on either sides of the aisle to give a “standing ovation” when he was disembarking at Doha.

“An air hostess escorted me to the front section. An unconscious and unresponsive passenger was on the ground, with half of his body still inside the toilet. He was not breathing, there was some froth at the side of his mouth. I promptly started CPR and he become responsive after about 30 seconds with a moan and then opened his eyes,” Dr Jilani told TOI.

The doctor, who is originally from Darbhanga in Bihar, asked the crew to raise his legs to increase blood supply to the brain and the heart. “Gradually he started coming around. We gave him a sugary drink. I always have a stethoscope and a BP recorder in my handbag. His BP, unrecordable initially, normalised in 15-20 minutes. He started talking and identified himself as Santosh from Hyderabad and currently working in Doha,” the doctor said. “I kept monitoring him and was happy that he could walk by the time the flight landed. It was such a satisfying feeling.”

A Vistara spokesperson said the passenger “fell unconscious while attempting to use the lavatory. One of the passengers immediately came forward and provided basic life support. The passenger in need was well looked after by the cabin crew and provided whatever the doctor advised. The passenger was able to safely disembark upon landing in Doha. We are immensely grateful to the doctor”. Aishwarya, an air hostess on the flight that took off from Delhi at 8pm, thanked the doctor for “being on duty even while travelling”.

Dr Jilani said, “They asked me to leave first when they started deplaning. A kind of standing ovation was given with flight attendants standing on both sides at the exit gate.”