THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Suman, 32, a soldier from Nilambur is alive and breathing. And he has Florence Nightingale 2020 awardee P Geetha to thank for it. The former nursing superintendent with Kozhikode Medical College Hospital once again proved why she deserved the high honour, when she saved the life of Suman after he suffered a cardiac arrest on a flight.
Geetha was en route to New Delhi to attend the felicitation function called by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in her honour. She had boarded the Air India flight (AI425) from Kannur on Sunday morning.
Just half an hour into the journey, Suman, who was on his way to New Delhi to rejoin duty in Jammu and Kashmir, suffered a heart attack. When Mustafa, the steward, enquired whether any nurses or doctors were on board, Geetha sprung into action. She checked Suman’s condition and found his blood pressure and pulse rate alarmingly low.
She began CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). With Mustafa’s help, she administered intravenous fluid. By then, more doctors, including Mohammed Asheel, the former state social security mission director and national professional officer of WHO-New Delhi, were alerted by the cabin crew and rushed to help. Their efforts helped revive Suman.
Geetha told TNIE later, “It was difficult to tend to Suman initially as he was seated. After administering CPR, I found a pulse. We then managed to revive him. Dr Prem Kumar from Perinthalmanna and a surgeon helped besides Dr Asheel. We used blankets to carry him to the rear of the flight. I was there beside him throughout the journey.”
Timely CPR by Geetha proved crucial
The Kozhikode native is the recipient of the Kerala government’s best nurse award in 2019. Dr Asheel said he thought Geetha was Suman’s relative. “It was only after she returned to her seat at the time of landing that I realised she was nurse.” Asheel said Suman would not have survived had Geetha not administered CPR on time.
“Hats off to Mustafa too who had undergone training on emergency medical care on board a flight. My role was minimal as one of the other doctors was also an emergency care physician,” he said. Suman was admitted to a hospital upon landing in New Delhi. Geetha was accompanied by husband P Sathyaprakash, a former Food Corporation of India official.