BENGALURU: Thanks to the presence of a doctor on board an IndiGo flight from Bengaluru to Delhi, a life was saved. A 44-year-old ex-army man developed a health emergency mid-air, and Dr Ritin Mohindra stabilised him, thereby averting an emergency landing.
Flight No. 6E 6021 had taken off at 5:45 am from Terminal 1 of Kempegowda International Airport on Sunday.
Dr Mohindra, an Assistant Professor in the Acute Care and Emergency Medicine Division of the Department of Internal Medicine at PGIMER (Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research), Chandigarh, told TNIE, "The flight had taken off from Bengaluru, and it must have been airborne for about 45 minutes when the cabin crew announced any doctor on board to come forward to assist a passenger. I immediately approached them."
The passenger complained of discomfort, a headache, and weakness on the left side of his body. "The weakness he experienced could also be caused by a stroke, and so it had to be treated with much caution. He said he was diabetic and was on regular medications. I then suspected it could be hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). If this condition is prolonged, it could cause seizures, loss of consciousness, and even lead to a coma," the doctor explained.
Dr Mohindra asked the cabin crew to mix sugar in water and make the passenger consume it immediately. "Within 15 minutes of drinking it, the passenger was stabilised, and he returned to normalcy. I sat near him during the remaining part of the journey until we reached Indira Gandhi International Airport to reassure him," he said.
The patient said he was a native of Mysuru and was presently residing in Bengaluru. He and his wife were part of a group heading to Delhi on a trip, Dr Mohindra added.
"I also advised him to follow up with his doctor at the earliest and change the medication. Such a condition could occur if a person is on regular oral anti-diabetic drugs or insulin, and the patients should be educated about the warning signs of hypoglycaemia," he explained.