Mode of transport is most common in countries around the globe with most extravagant journeys and emergencies. Considering flights as an essential means of commute, the authorities and management have been able to provide a secure journey. With the development in service and convenience, the Air Transport is seeing more and more advancements today. However, the mishappenings are raising the risks of passengers’ health while traveling. It comes across as a shock that medical mishaps are becoming frequent these days which is beyond question. For the country like India, the small negligences we always find out after the inquiry on a train accident or aircraft’s failed operation has led to the massive fatal.
During such situations of medical emergencies, proper precautions and efficient solutions must be kept handy in order to handle the situation effectively as well as efficiently. Their duties are not only to handle situations but they must also take proper precautions so as to avoid the rise of any cases. Shockingly, recent reports of medical emergency situations and lack of precautions and treatments totally point fingers in the opposite directions. Discussing some of the recent cases will get us a picture on the level of medical safety or diligence they have.
Recently, on September 20, flight 9W 697 traveling from Mumbai to Jaipur was averted back to Mumbai on grounds emergency technical fault. The cabin had lost air pressure as it took off because of which passengers started bleeding from their ears and noses after which the crew on board and the pilots decided to turn around and emergency land in Mumbai. The flight carried 166 passengers of which 30 were affected by the technical mistake and 5 were hospitalized in the nearest hospital. Videos and pictures released by many passengers via social media on their conditions. Jet Airways had released an immediate statement regarding the matter.
Jet Airways statement on flight 9W 697 of 20th September 2018. pic.twitter.com/D99vyFFIv2
— Jet Airways (@jetairways) September 20, 2018
From another horrific event that caught world attention was the death of an 11-month-old infant died on board due to breathing and medical complications. The boy, named Arnav Varma Alluri, was aboard with parents on their way from Doha to Hyderabad and crossed paths with this tragedy. He was instantly rushed to Apollo Medical Center after landing on Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. But unfortunately, he was declared dead on arrival by the doctor. Similarly, in a same line of horror, a 4-month-old baby had died on Bangalore-Patna Indigo flight. This flight was diverted to Hyderabad and after reaching Apollo Clinic he was declared dead on arrival too. This baby was affected by breathing problem as soon as the flight took off.
In another unusually bizarre yet shocking incident that happened in flight 6E 902 Bengaluru bound Indigo flight saw a man suffering serious medical discomfort eventually forcing him to lie down on the floor. The gentleman started getting uncomfortable approximately half-an-hour after leading him to walk towards the lavatory during which he fell down. Even if that particular moment was under control by the man, his condition got so bad that he fainted in his seat. He was attended by the flight attendant and also few passengers. The eventual discomfort leads him to shift from the chair to lay on the floor for the next 30 minutes or so. The Article‘s Rohit Kumar was on board and captured the incidence on his mobile. He narrates the whole incidence in his own words –
This was on 21st of September last week that I witnessed this uncommon incident when I was traveling to Bhubaneswar from Patna in a Bangalore-bound Indigo flight 6E 902. The flight had taken off from the Patna Airport at 11:40 am in the morning and was scheduled to land at Bangalore Airport at 14:15 hrs from where I had to take a connecting flight to Bhubaneshwar. I didn’t note the exact timing, but it was something around 12:15 hrs., around half an hour after the plane scheduled to take off, that a fellow passenger stood up to walk towards the lavatory of the aircraft. He was trembling in his walk. As he passed by my seat, all of a sudden he stumbled and fell at the floor of the aisle. Before the crew members could reach to extend him assistance, he stood up on his own. When he was returning to his seat after using the toilet, he was equally palpitating in his move. Anyhow, he reached his place and got seated. Around 5 minutes after, I heard a commotion. The lady stewards of the flight were darting to the ailing passenger. He had perhaps got fainted. Some other passengers sitting nearby too gathered at the place. Some of the passengers from the medical grounds volunteered to help the ailing passenger. The first aid kit in the flight was brought for his assistance by the Airhostess, and he was given the first aid treatment.
However, the passenger was visibly suffering from some serious medical issue. He was not feeling comfortable to seat in the chair of the flight, and therefore he slept on the floor of the aisle. Being a frequent flier, for me, this was a very unusual scene in the air. The ailing passenger kept lying on the floor of the aisle for around half an hour. Thus, this is the short video that I captured in the flight.
Further, it is astonishing that there was not even a news break in media and neither any cognizance by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reported.
In all of the above cases, it’s quite difficult to say whether the fault was from the Airline or the victims already had serious medical conditions. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, emergency medical situations in flight will increase as more and more elderly passengers use air transport these days. The data on national and worldwide cases are scarce which in turn makes the issue less attended to. However, Airlines must be better equipped for emergencies like this. It is also a fact that most of the emergency landings in India were due to medical emergencies that were related to passengers. With the above fact persistent in the present day, it’s always going to be disputable whether to an emergency situation arose due to technical fault or patient’s medical condition.
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