PANAJI: While returning to Goa from New Delhi on Sunday after attending the Congress party’s plenary session, Ponda MLA and senior Congress leader Ravi Naik fell unconscious and collapsed mid-air in a plane forcing diversion of the flight back to the New Delhi airport.
After making an emergency landing, Naik was immediately shifted to a Gurugram-based hospital where his condition is reported to be stable.
Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, speaking to this daily, said that after attending the morning session of the plenary, Naik boarded a flight to return to Goa and soon after takeoff, he vomited and fell unconscious on the flight. Flight attendants immediately intimated the pilot and the co-pilot, who then decided to divert the flight and make an emergency landing at the Delhi airport.
“After the flight made the emergency landing, Naik was examined by the medical team at the airport itself and then as per their advice, he was immediately taken to a Gurgaon-based hospital and all required treatment was provided to him,” said Kavlekar, who is also in Delhi.
Kavlekar said that Naik has a history of spondylosis and along with that fatigue could have worsened his health. He, however, said that Naik was ‘absolutely stable’ and has been kept under observation.
He said Naik will be discharged from the hospital on Monday morning and board an afternoon flight to return to Goa. Kavlekar and Goa desk in-charge Chella Kumar were the two Congress leaders, who visited him in the hospital.