By Irfan Mohammed
Jeddah: The Telugu woman passenger, who was fallen sick in mid-air on her way home from the US and for whom flight made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia last week, has succumbed to heart attack on Saturday.
60-year old Bala Nagamma of Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh was returning to India from New York through an airline flight last week. Abu Dhabi bound flight from the USA had to make an emergency landing in Riyadh after she complained of unwell in the mid-air.
Rushed to hospital in Riyadh
The medical team at the airport responded quickly to the emergency and she was rushed to a local hospital in Riyadh where she was admitted.
Nagamma condition was stable and the family was planning to make travel arrangements to back home India, however, she has passed away on Saturday morning, said sources.
Most of the NRIs purchase cheaper tickets for their beloved ones which not covering the health insurance of passengers. The unforeseen tragedies can only compound their woes.
Insurance
It is noteworthy to mention that Nagamma ticket also not covered by health insurance and her medical bill in an unexpected stopover in Saudi Arabia is a huge one, according to sources. The dead body can be released only after the settlement of the bill.
Bilqis Begum of Hyderabad who was returning to Hyderabad from the US was disembarked in London after her death in midair, her body was repatriated to Hyderabad after two weeks after completing all formalities in London.
Almost all Telugu state passengers travel Northern America and other parts of the world through Gulf-based carriers, which are popular in India as well as in North America and Europe. Mid-Air health issues often reported among elderly passengers who were on way to their families in abroad or back home.
If someone falls sick on a plane, the cabin crew required to perform emergency medical care such as CPR on that passenger. All crew was trained in first aid procedures, including defibrillators which are carried on board. If the situation requires medical intervention, the flight will divert to the nearest suitable airport and request medical assistance to be standby before landing.
If the passenger dies, then the body often moved to an empty row and covered, however, the procedures differ depending on the airline.