Air Force doctor revives cancer patient who suffered cardiac arrest on-board IndiGo flight

A cancer patient from Bangladesh was on-board an IndiGo flight from Pune to Kolkata. She suffered a cardiac arrest midair. Following an announcement from the crew, the Air Force doctor volunteered and saved her with help of two other doctors.

Group Captain Dr. TVSVGK Tilak, who was onboard the IndiGo flight and volunteered to help the patient. (Photo: India Today)

A Bangladeshi passenger who suffered a cardiac arrest on board an Indigo flight from Pune to Kolkata was rescued by an Indian Air Force (IAF) doctor on Friday.

A middle-aged cancer patient from Bangladesh was on-board the Indigo flight number 6E-523, which took off from Pune early Friday morning. Her condition deteriorated midway and she collapsed inside the flight.

Soon an announcement was made by the crew seeking medical assistance from any doctor, if present among the passengers. Following which, IAF Group Captain Dr. TVSVGK Tilak, who was on-board the flight volunteered to help.

''On hearing that a patient requires medical assistance I alerted the air hostess. I attended the lady, a lung cancer patient and she was clearly in distress,'' Dr Tilak, who is posted at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, told India Today TV.

With the assistance of the crew, he began performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and revived the patient within a minute. Subsequently, a medical oncologist who was also travelling alongside Dr Tilak attended the patient and administered emergency medicine and oxygen.

"Two other colleagues luckily helped, one surgical oncologist and a neurosurgeon came and established the IV. We didn't have a nebuliser so we gave her an inhaler. Thereafter the patient was stabilised," the Air Force doctor said.

After the patient had recovered, the flight finally landed in Kolkata 45 minutes later at about 6am. The patient was rushed to a local hospital.

According to Dr Tilak, the patient was travelling with her daughter who had informed that she was already undergoing cancer treatment in Dhaka.

Happy that he could save a life, the Air Force doctor thanked IndiGo staff for their timely intervention to rescue the passenger during the emergency. "I'm thankful to the IndiGo crew. Although we didn't have all equipments but whatever was needed at that time was available," he said.

ALSO READ | Trending: Bengaluru school asks who is farmer's friend, Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy or earthworms

ALSO READ | Swiggy delivery boy saves 10 people in Mumbai hospital fire. Internet showers love

ALSO WATCH | Meet IAF doctor who revived cancer patient after she suffered cardiac arrest on Kolkata-bound flight

  • Andriod App
  • IOS App
Do You Like This Story?