Indore: A Delhi-Pune IndiGo flight made an emergency landing here at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport on Sunday after a 52-year-old male passenger was taken ill on board. The plane landed at Indore airport at 9:30 am and the patient was shifted to a private hospital.
“The IndiGo flight (6E769) was heading towards Pune from New Delhi when it was diverted to Indore due to medical emergency to a passenger, who got cardiac arrest after which we immediately made arrangements for emergency landing of the flight and provided ambulance and a doctor to the said passenger,” Airport Director Aryama Sanyal said.
Suresh Rana, 52, , developed sweating and chest pain after which co-passengers informed the crew and the pilot. Considering the seriousness of matter, the pilot asked the Air Traffic Control to help in landing and clearing the runway.
The patient is admitted in cardiac ICU of Shalby Hospital where his condition is stated to be stable. His family members were also informed about his health. According to sources, the passenger requested the IndiGo airlines authorities to send him to Pune but was asked to produce medical certificates for the same.
Authorities change ambulance midway
According to sources, initially the patient was sent to Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Science in an ambulance provided by the airport management but he was shifted to the ambulance of Shalby Hospital midway at Super Corridor and sent to the hospital.
However, questions were raised over the move of airport management to shift the patient into another ambulance and also for sending him to the hospital in mid of the city instead of the hospital about 10 minutes away from the airport.
Meanwhile, Airport Director Aryama Sanyal termed it a move to save the patient’s life. “While providing the ambulance of airport, we have also called Shalby Hospital for providing advance ambulance. The patient was shifted to hospital’s ambulance as it was equipped with ICU on-wheels and other facilities required for the patient,” Sanyal said. She added that it was a proactive decision and their priority was to provide better health care to the patient.