On a Ranchi-Delhi IndiGo flight, a baby with congenital heart disease experienced severe respiratory distress. Thankfully, two co-passenger doctors, Dr. Nitin Kulkarni, an IAS officer trained in medicine and principal secretary to the Governor of Jharkhand, and Dr. Mozammil Pheroz from Ranchi Sadar Hospital, swiftly stepped in.
Twenty minutes into the flight, the crew made an urgent call for medical help. Dr. Kulkarni and Dr. Pheroz immediately responded, providing the infant with oxygen using an adult mask, as no child-specific masks were available. “The mother was distraught. We supplied oxygen and checked the medical records, revealing the baby’s heart condition, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA),” Dr. Kulkarni shared.
Utilising the flight’s emergency medical kit and a medication provided by the parents, the baby began to stabilise. The lack of an oximeter, however, made it challenging to monitor the child’s oxygen saturation levels.
“Initially, it was tense, but gradually the baby’s condition improved, showing signs of normalcy,” Dr. Kulkarni recounted. He praised the cabin crew’s prompt assistance and shared that they had requested priority landing and immediate medical support upon arrival.
Upon landing at 9.25 am, medical personnel were quick to provide further aid. “Our efforts for over an hour brought a gratifying result,”
