A group of five medical professionals returning from an event in Bengaluru treated the child as the flight was rerouted to Nagpur.
The five doctors from AIIMS Delhi who were on board the Vistara flight. (Supplied)
In a heart-stopping incident that unfolded thousands of feet in the air, a team of doctors emerged as heroes as they banded together to save the life of a two-year-old child aboard a Vistara flight from Karnataka’s Bengaluru to Delhi.
A group of five medical professionals returning from an event organised by the Indian Society for Vascular and Interventional Radiology (ISVIR) rose to the occasion, showcasing the true essence of their calling.
Two year old baby saved mid-air by five AIIMS doctors on board Vistara airlines. (Supplied)
Senior Resident (Anaesthesia) Dr Navdeep Kaur, Senior Resident (Cardiac Radiology) Dr Damandeep Singh, former senior resident (AIIMS Radiology) Dr Rishab Jain, Senior Resident (OBG) Dr Oishika, and Senior Resident (Cardiac Radiology) Dr Avichala Taxak found themselves jumping into action when a distress call came through in the cabin of the Vistara Airline flight UK-814.
As fellow passengers watched in awe, these individuals — their backgrounds as diverse as their skills were complementary — transformed from mere travellers into a formidable medical team.
The flight, which had embarked on a routine journey from Bengaluru to Delhi, quickly turned into a tableau of urgency and hope.
The mother of the two-year-old was desperately looking for help as her child had suddenly turned cold and was not breathing.
She immediately requested the crew of the aircraft for an emergency landing and the aircraft was diverted to Nagpur.
However, before doing that, the crew made an announcement asking if there were any doctors on the flight who could help the child. As it turned out, not one but five doctors were on board that flight. They immediately swung into action.
In a statement released by the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the sequence of events that unfolded was vividly portrayed.
The statement said that while returning from ISVIR onboard a Bengaluru-to-Delhi flight on Sunday evening on the Vistara Airline flight UK-814, a distress call was announced.
It noted that the patient turned out to be a two-year-old cyanotic girl who was operated on outside for intracardiac repair. She was unconscious and cyanosed (turning blue).
Five doctors from AIIMS in New Delhi were on board the flight, and examined the child immediately, said the statement, adding that her pulse was absent, her extremities were cold, she was not breathing, and her lips and fingers were cyanosed.
The doctors immediately administered CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) with the limited resources on board.
The doctors managed to insert an intravenous cannula and create an oropharyngeal airway, said the statement, adding that the baby’s blood circulation subsequently normalised.
The statement also said that the situation was complicated by a cardiac arrest for which a defibrillator was used.
The treatment is said to have continued for 45 minutes as the flight was routed to Nagpur. The child was then handed over in a stable haemodynamic condition to a paediatrician, and was then treated in a hospital there.
Speaking to South First, AIIMS Bhopal’s Resident Doctors’ Association former secretary Dr RishiRaj Sinha said cyanosis was characterised by a bluish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes.
The national executive member of the Federation Of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) explained that oxygen might not reach the haemoglobin in an adequate or sufficient amount as a result of conditions affecting the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and central nervous system.
“Cyanosis typically occurs when the amount of oxygen bound to the haemoglobin is very low. The presence of cyanosis might be an indication of inadequate oxygen delivery to the peripheral tissues,” said Sinha.
He added that it could also be a symptom of a disease process, and that surgical intervention was required for the correction of congenital heart diseases causing cyanosis.
In infants and neonates with cyanotic congenital heart diseases — like tetralogy of Fallot, tricuspid atresia, truncus arterisus, or total anomalous venous return — prompt referral for cardiology assessment and intervention is necessary.
Appreciation came pouring in for the doctors’ efforts onboard the aircraft to save the child.
Responding to the AIIMS statement, noted Karnataka-based cardiologist Dr P Kamath said on X (previously known as Twitter), “Great job. Proud of you guys,”.
Great job 👏. Proud of you guys.
— Dr P Kamath (@cardio73) August 28, 2023
Meanwhile, the handle @RSRC_DIMSUM of one Rakesh tweeted, “Thank you for this @aiims_newdelhi, requesting aviation, healthcare and defence ministry to come up with a scheduling roster which will include one doctor and one army personnel in every flit. Not sure how much of it is possible 🙁 [sic].”
He also tagged the Union health minister, the Union minister for civil aviation, and the defence minister.
Thank you for this @aiims_newdelhi ❤️
Requesting aviation, healthcare & defence ministry to come up with a scheduling roster which will include one doctor and one army personnel in every flight
Not sure how much of it is possible 🙁 @JM_Scindia @mansukhmandviya @rajnathsingh— Rakesh (@RSRC_DIMSUM) August 28, 2023
Calling the child lucky to have found such a good team of doctors on the flight Rajesh Ranjan, a specialist at Microsoft, tweeted, “What are the odds that someone has such a qualified team at her disposal in such a situation? I must say a lucky child. Kudos to the AIIMS team!! Such a great story [sic].”
What are the odds that someone has such a qualified team at her disposal in such a situation? I must say a lucky child. Kudos to the AIIMS team!! Such a great story 🙂
— Rajesh Ranjan (@rranjan733) August 28, 2023
Meanwhile, Dr Ajay Kumar, from the Sawai Man Singh Medical College in Jaipur, praised the team and also the airline staff for saving the life of the child.
He tweeted, “Incredible teamwork! The quick response and skillful coordination of the medical team onboard the Vistara flight truly saved a life. Kudos to the dedicated doctors from AIIMS, Newdelhi who went above and beyond to provide critical care to the two-year-old child. [sic]”
Incredible teamwork! 🙌✈️ The quick response and skillful coordination of the medical team onboard the Vistara flight truly saved a life. Kudos to the dedicated doctors from @aiims_newdelhi who went above and beyond to provide critical care to the 2-yr-old child. @aiims_newdelhi
— Dr Ajay Kumar (@AjaySultaniya) August 28, 2023
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