Kozhikode: Nurse saves soldier's life mid-air, wins praise

KOZHIKODE: Kozhikode native P Geetha, a 2020 National Florence Nightingale award-winner, who was on a flight from Kozhikode to New Delhi on Sunday to attend a felicitation function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, proved even on the fight that she fully deserved the top honour.Around 15 minutes into the flight, the crew made an announcement seeking help of any doctor or nurse on board following an in-flight medical emergency. Suman, 32, an Army soldier hailing from Nilambur, had collapsed in his seat and lost conscious and was left with no BP and pulse. Geetha immediately stepped in to provide CPR along with the emergency treatment provided by doctors onboard to save Suman's life. Suman was returning to Delhi to rejoin duty."The patient did not have BP and pulse. So, along with an airline crew, I started doing CPR and then the patient took a breath. The patient was provided IV fluids and medicines on the flight itself and we monitored him constantly till he recovered," Geetha said. "I was a little tensed because we were on a flight. But we managed to save him. Later I came to know that he was a soldier," Geetha added.Dr Mohammed Asheel, former executive director of state social security mission and now national professional officer, WHO, who was also on the flight, recounted the incident in a Facebook post. He said that when he responded to the announcement, he saw a lady already providing CPR to the patient.Later a team lead by an emergency physician provided medicines and moved the patient to the rear of the aircraft.I first thought she was a relative of the patient. I came to know she was a nurse only when she told me so. When she told me that she was a Florence Nightingale Award-winner, I told her that she has proved during the last three hours that she fully deserved the award, Dr Asheel said. Geetha who had served as nursing superintendent in Kozhikode is now serving in a private hospital in the city. She had also won the state government's award for best nurse in the year 2019.