A senior consultant in cardiac anaesthesia at Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Bhubaneswar saved the life of a fellow passenger aboard Air India Express flight I5 764 en route from New Delhi to Pune in a remarkable display of quick thinking and medical expertise.

The incident, which unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday, began when the cabin crew, led by Saurav, made an urgent announcement requesting the assistance of any onboard paramedics or nursing personnel due to a medical emergency.

A middle-aged woman was found unresponsive in her seat, prompting immediate action. Dr Ashok Kumar Badamali, who was travelling to Pune for research work, promptly responded to the call for help.

The patient was moved to the floor of the aircraft to facilitate resuscitation efforts. Upon examination, Dr Badamali found the patient to be unresponsive, and exhibiting agonal breathing, with an extremely fast carotid pulse. “Utilising his expertise in cardiac emergencies, he performed a carotid massage
that proved to be life-saving,” said a press release issued by KIMS.

Under Dr Badamali’s careful management, the patient was placed in the recovery position and remained stable until the flight successfully landed at the Pune International Airport.

“The pilot of the flight, Rahul, along with crew members Saurav and Puja, expressed their gratitude to Dr Badamali for his timely and decisive action,” the release said.

Founder, KIIT, KISS and KIMS Achyuta Samanta thanked Dr Badamali for his service.

Auto-rickshaw mishap

Fifteen people were injured when an auto-rickshaw in which they were travelling overturned in Odisha’s Kalahandi district on Tuesday, police said, adds PTI.

The accident happened near Jamulighati in Madanpur Rampur block, they said.

Those travelling in the auto-rickshaw were on the way to a wedding, police said.