An airline passenger who had a medical emergency in mid-flight was helped by a doctor from Kerala. A 56-year-old woman experiencing acute dizziness and vomiting on an Air India flight from Delhi to San Francisco was monitored and stabilized by Dr. Gigy Varkey Kuruttukulam of Rajagiri Hospital in Aluva using a smartwatch.
The only doctor on board, Dr. Gigy, evaluated the patient's condition quickly and told her to lie down. He presented his ID card to the flight attendants and used the smartwatch to monitor her vital signs, noticing high blood pressure and low blood oxygen levels. Using the medical kit aboard the plane, he administered medication and effectively treated her illness.
The flight crew was sufficiently encouraged by Dr. Gigy's intervention, despite the urgency, to proceed to San Francisco, where they landed fifteen minutes ahead of time. The patient was met by medical personnel at the airport and immediately sent to a nearby hospital for intensive care. Her condition is gradually getting better, according to hospital officials.
The captain of the flight and the Air India crew thanked Dr. Gigy for his prompt assistance. Dr. Gigy received a special citation from the captain for his efforts to save lives. For more than nine years, Dr. Gigy Varkey Kuruttukulam served as head of the neurology department at Rajagiri Hospital.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)
