Hyderabad Doctor saves elderly passenger during mid-air emergency on Etihad flight
Hyderabad: A Hyderabad-based doctor successfully assisted an elderly passenger during a mid-air medical emergency on an Etihad Airways flight from London to Hyderabad.
The incident occurred on October 13, when Dr. A.M. Fahad responded to an urgent announcement from the cabin crew seeking medical support for an older male passenger in distress.
After a quick evaluation, Dr. Fahad identified that the flyer was suffering from hypertension along with reduced blood sugar, a combination that required immediate intervention. He administered antihypertensive medication to control the elevated blood pressure and directed the crew to offer fruit juice to increase the passenger’s glucose levels, reports Deccan Chronicle.
The prompt action helped stabilise the passenger within minutes, averting a potential onboard medical crisis. Etihad Airways later issued an official note of gratitude to Dr. Fahad, commending his swift response and the crucial role he played in ensuring the passenger’s safety.
Doctors saving patients mid-air has become a remarkable trend. At 40,000 feet, when every second mattered, Major Simrat Rajdeep Singh, an Indian Army doctor from Western Command Hospital, Chandimandir, turned a flight into an airborne ICU. Last month, when a 27-year-old passenger suffered severe respiratory distress mid-air, Major Singh sprang into action — using the aircraft’s emergency kit, performing resuscitation, and ensuring an emergency landing with Mumbai ATC’s coordination. In July, Dr. Puneet Rijhwani also calmly handled a serious heart emergency (SVT) and saved a 25-year-old air hostess’s life during a flight.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that an Indian Army doctor saved the life of a 75-year-old passenger who suffered a medical emergency onboard IndiGo Flight 6E-6011 from Chennai to Guwahati. Major Mukundan, who was returning from leave, promptly stepped in. Assessing the patient, he found him semi-conscious with reactive pupils and clear signs of low blood sugar. Despite limited onboard resources, Maj Mukundan administered sugar orally along with an oral rehydration solution (ORS), closely monitoring the patient’s vital signs and oxygen saturation throughout the remainder of the flight.
