KOLKATA – In a remarkable display of medical expertise and swift response, a cardiovascular surgeon became a real-life hero when he rescued a fellow passenger who was medically dead for some time with no pulse, no heartbeat, and no brain response.
Dr Deepak Puri, a senior cardiovascular surgeon from Chandigarh, skillfully administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to revive a 57-year-old diabetic who had suffered a cardiac arrest on an Air India flight from Tokyo to New Delhi.
Following Dr. Puri’s guidance, the flight made an urgent diversion to the nearest airport, Kolkata, where the patient was swiftly transferred to a hospital. The medical team and crew members worked tirelessly for long five hours to stabilize the patient and ensure his condition remained stable until the flight could reach its intended destination.
Speaking to the Indian media, Dr. Puri explained that the patient was medically dead without a pulse, heartbeat, or brain response for a period of time. He emphasized that without immediate medical assistance in such situations, irreversible brain damage can occur within three to five minutes.
Dr. Puri had been returning from Tokyo after attending a prestigious two-day Cardiomersion World Heart Congress when he sprang into action to save the passenger’s life. What exacerbated the situation was the fact that the incident occurred while the flight was over the sea and was approximately five hours away from the nearest available airport.
The airline swiftly obtained special permission to land at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. Upon landing, the patient was immediately transported by ambulance to the nearest hospital, where an emergency procedure successfully addressed the complication.
