Less than 20 minutes after an Air India Express flight took off from Dubai on May 12, panic spread inside the cabin. A 32-year-old passenger collapsed and had become unresponsive.

As frightened passengers stood up in confusion, Akilaoviyan Neelakandan, a nurse at RAK Hospital, rushed ahead from the back of the aircraft to help stabilise the man. She used limited medical supplies available onboard, monitoring him continuously for nearly two hours until the flight landed safely in India.

Neelakandan was travelling home for her first vacation and was only on her second-ever flight when cabin crew announced that a medical professional was urgently needed onboard the flight from Dubai to Tiruchirappalli.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Akilaoviyan Neelakandan

“I was sitting at the back when they announced asking if any medical staff or doctors were available,” she said. “I immediately went to the patient. When I called him, he was not responding.”

According to the nurse, the passenger was breathing but appeared unconscious and later developed seizure-like symptoms, including continuous shivering and jerking movements. “At that time, passengers were panicking and standing up. But I didn’t panic. I felt like I was in a hospital,” said Neelakandan.

She said she first repositioned the passenger and performed basic emergency response measures before another doctor onboard joined her. The two then shifted the man towards the front section of the aircraft to create more space for treatment. “It was a very congested area and there were only limited medical supplies available onboard,” she said.

Following the doctor’s instructions, Neelakandan inserted an IV line inside the aircraft and continuously monitored the passenger’s vital signs. “His pulse was low and BP was high,” she said.

The nurse added that the passenger continued shivering heavily during the ordeal. “We covered him with a bedsheet because he was feeling very cold,” she said. “We also rubbed his hands and legs to keep him warm.”

She suspected the passenger may have been suffering from low blood sugar along with seizure-like symptoms. However, she said the aircraft did not have a glucose monitoring machine onboard.

“We started electrolyte support and IV fluids. Slowly, he started recovering, but it took almost two hours to stabilise him.”

Once the passenger became responsive, the nurse said she carefully gave him juice and continued checking on him throughout the remainder of the journey.

After briefly returning to her seat, she later walked back again to check on him. “I asked him, ‘How are you now, brother? If you need anything, tell me. He said, ‘No, sister, I am okay now,” said Neelakandan.

The passenger, who was travelling alone, was later taken to emergency medical teams waiting after landing in India. The airline had earlier alerted airport authorities about the onboard medical emergency.

After the flight landed, the Air India crew also handed her a handwritten appreciation note thanking her for her prompt medical attention towards their guest.

Dubai doctor saves 3-year-old after mid-air emergency forces flight to land in Mumbai At 30,000 feet: 2 Indian doctors save Etihad crew member during mid-air emergency