At IGI, docs await ladder, find patient dead on board IA flight

New Delhi: Is my mother alive? That’s the first question Mangla Kulkarni’s son Rahul threw at the doctors after they boarded IC-602 at the IGI airport on Thursday evening.
The airport doctors’ logbook says they got the alert message at 7.20 pm. The Indian Airlines’ flight touched down at 7.40 pm. But the doctors could get on board after 20 long, nerve-wracking minutes. Reason: The airline ladder was not available.
The death certificate issued by AIIMS says the 60-year-old from Mumbai suburb Thane had died 10 minutes before the Lucknow-Delhi-Mumbai flight landed at 7.40 pm. But the anxious family had no way of knowing that — for 20 minutes all they did was wait for the ladder to be in place. And pray.
As per information, Kulkarni was stretchered on to the flight: she had suffered a serious cervical injury after an accidental fall. The victim had gone to Lucknow with husband R R Kulkarni to attend a religious function. After receiving the injury she was admitted in Neera Hospital, in Lucknow’s Aliganj area, for past eight days.
According to reports, son Rahul informed the cabin crew after Kulkarni developed complications some 20 minutes before the flight was to touch down at IGI. The flight captain then alerted the air traffic controller (ATC) that a passenger was serious and needed immediate medical attention upon landing.
01/02/08 K Sobhana/Delhi Newsline

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Categories: Air India Domestic Mar 2008, Airports Mar 2008, NACIL Mar 2008, Safety Mar 2008