Delhi air ambulance accident: Stroke patient on board, others unhurt in emergency landing
A resident of Patna, he had been put on the air ambulance earlier in the day from the Jagdish Memorial Hospital there to be treated for a neurological stroke.
The chartered aircraft suffered an engine failure following which it made an attempt to land in Najafgarh area. (Source: Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)
When residents of Kair village forced open the cabin door of the air ambulance that had made an emergency landing in a local field, they found 42-year-old Virender Rai inside. He was on a stretcher and an oxygen mask around his neck was askew. A doctor was working hurriedly to reconnect the oxygen mask, while the five other people on board the plane, who had sustained cuts and bruises, seemed shaken.
“They seemed to be in a state of shock when we opened the door. There was a patient on a stretcher. We took them out one by one… one of the passengers told us that the patient was her father and was in need of immediate medical help,” said Devender Kumar, a resident of Kair village.
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“The patient was wearing an oxygen mask but it had come off after the crash-landing. The doctor who was travelling with them was trying to re-attach the mask. We offered water to them. None of them were seriously injured… but some were complaining about internal injuries. The brother of the patient had a cut on his head, but was fine otherwise,” said Sapna Jha, another resident.
“None of us had a mobile phone so the girl (Rai’s daughter Ruhi) called police. Meanwhile, we also managed to get a car that belonged to one of the residents and put the patient inside it. But by the time we did that, a police team reached the spot and helped the patient onto their PCR van,” added Jha.
Rai was rushed to Medanta Medicity in Gurgaon. A resident of Patna, he had been put on the air ambulance earlier in the day from the Jagdish Memorial Hospital there to be treated for a neurological stroke.
According to doctors, Rai did not sustain any external or internal injuries in the emergency landing. “His daughter, who was also on board, was also examined. Neither sustained any injuries,” said a doctor.
Rai has been kept in the ICU of Medanta Medicity, where he will be treated for the stroke, said doctors. “His condition is stable now. A multi-disciplinary team has evaluated him, and for now he is being observed for residual damage from the stroke. Doctors will decide on the next course of action,” said a hospital official.
“The patient, who has a history of brain strokes, was brought to Medanta after his air ambulance made an emergency landing. He has been admitted in the ICU under a neurologist. He has not sustained any injuries. The others who were brought with him to the hospital also did not sustain any injuries,” said Dr A K Dubey, medical superintendent of Medanta-the Medicity.
Hospital authorities said Rai had sustained bruises on his forehead and thigh. “Rai was admitted and given emergency treatment. On examination, he was found to have only bruises and abrasions…,” said Dr Dubey.
The aircraft’s pilots and other crew members, along with the doctor on duty, also underwent medical tests and were found to be fit. “Nobody else sustained any injuries,” said Dr Dubey.
After receiving news of the crash landing, Rao Tula Ram Hospital in Najafgarh had prepared a 10-bed emergency bay. “Our staff was on standby and we kept a bay ready,” said a doctor.
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