Flier suffers cardiac arrest, dies on Delhi-Mumbai flight; family accuses airline of negligence

A 53-year-old Patna resident suffered a cardiac arrest and died on board a Jet Airways flight from Delhi to Mumbai. The family of the passenger, Mohammad Afroz Ahmed, accused the cabin crew of negligence, alleging that he was not given immediate medical assistance, including oxygen supply.

Jet Airways has denied the allegations and said the crew immediately attended to Ahmed, who was also examined by a doctor travelling on the 9W376 flight on Sunday. Ahmed was accompanied by three family members, including a nephew.

The family’s allegations were supported by another passenger, Sakshi Bharadwaj, who was seated ahead of Ahmed. She said none of the crew members helped Ahmed until she demanded an oxygen mask for him. “I learnt about the passenger’s discomfort when his nephew seated next to me started turning behind to check on his uncle. The passenger kept complaining about uneasiness and asked for oxygen which was not provided to him. Moreover, the crew kept serving food to passengers. An announcement for an on board doctor was made late. Until then, I had performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the passenger with no help from the crew,” said Bharadwaj, who is in Mumbai for an official trip. She said that she had written an e-mail to the airline.

“A guest on the Jet Airways flight 9W 376 from Delhi to Mumbai developed a medical condition on January 21, 2018. The crew immediately attended to the guest, who was also examined by a doctor travelling on the flight. Jet Airways crew undergo extensive (first-aid) training... The airline and its crew followed the established protocols for on board medical situations,” said Jet Airways in a statement.

A senior official from an airline said, “As per the DGCA requirements, all cabin crew ought to complete safety training course. It includes a week’s practical training for ‘ first aid’ performed on a dummy.”