During a flight from Ranchi to Delhi, a baby suffering from a congenital heart condition experienced acute respiratory distress when two fellow passengers, who are both doctors, intervened to save the baby’s life. IAS official Dr Nitin kulkarni who is also a medical doctor by profession, along with a doctor from a hospital in Ranchi, administered oxygen to the baby using an adult mask and other medications as emergency medical aid.
When the flight landed an hour later, the baby was handed over to a medical team who administered oxygen to him. The parents were on their way to AIIMS in Delhi to treat the baby’s heart condition. On Saturday, at around 20 minutes into the flight on Indigo, the flight crew issued an emergency call for medical help to any doctor onboard for a baby who was in distress.
Previously the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Dr Pheroz of Sadar Hospital Ranchi intervened to save the baby. “The mother was screaming as the baby struggled to breathe. I and Dr Pheroz took charge of the baby and provided oxygen through an adult ventilator as there was no baby ventilator or cannula in the room,” said Dr Pheroz. Dr Pheroz said that the medical records showed that the baby had a birth defect known as Patent Ductal Arteriosus (PDA). “They were planning to get the baby treated at AIIMS,” he said.
He said, “I administered the injection of theophylline from the medicines kit. Parents were carrying the injection of Dexona which turned out to be very useful. The baby showed some improvement after injections. Oxygen and pulse rate were monitored with stethoscope as there was no oximeter in the room which made it hard to determine the oxygen saturation level.”
The first fifteen to twenty minutes were critical and stressful because it was hard to tell how the baby was doing. Finally, the baby’s eyes were normal and he was making sounds. The cabin crew was also very helpful and gave prompt assistance. “We asked for a priority landing and complete medical assistance upon arrival. The flight landed at 09.25 am. The medical team reached immediately and gave oxygen to the baby. We were overjoyed with the result of over an hour of effort,” he added.
