AN off-duty doctor rushed to the rescue of a fellowpassenger after she fell seriously ill on board a flight.

Dr Kazi Azad, a consultant in the acute medical unit at Basildon Hospital, was on a Lufthansa plane from Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, to Frankfurt, in Germany, when the cabin crew announced there was a mid-air medical emergency.

They asked any doctors on board to make themselves known, and Dr Azad was more than happy to put his medical skills into action.

A woman in her twenties had passed out and was lying across a row of seats at the back of the plane, unconscious and pale.

Dr Azad said: “To give me enough space to fully assess her, the cabin crew laid her on the floor in the kitchen area.

“There was medical kit on board, so I was able to establish that her blood pressure and oxygen levels were very low. I also checked her blood sugar, which was normal. After giving her oxygen she slowly came around enough to tell me, throughamember of the cabin crew who was interpreting, that she was breathless and her throat and chest felt tight.

“I initially thought it was either a clot in the lung or anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction). I understood that she had experienced a sudden facial swelling on the flight out to Jeddah.

“I briefly examined her, gave an adrenalin injection to address anaphylaxis and put a cannula in her arm to start giving intravenous fluids. I monitored her blood pressure closely and attached a portable defibrillator and saturation probe to monitor her heart rhythm, pulse and blood oxygen level.”

Over the next fewhours the passenger’s condition improved, meaning Dr Azad prevented the need for an emergency landing.

He added: “We were given seats in business class, and I felt like I had earned the very nice breakfast I was served. When we arrived in Frankfurt the passenger was met by paramedics and taken straight to hospital.

“The crew said they were very grateful that I was on the flight. I must give credit to them as they were very calm and professional, listened to what I said and followed my direction throughout.”

Bosses from Lufthansa have since emailed Dr Azad thanking him for his care and support in the “special situation”.

Mr Lothar Zell, head of medical services at the airline, said: “Lufthansa Group operates about 3,000 flights daily, and in the rare case of a medical emergency during a flight, passengers often benefit from the immediate assistance provided by medical doctors who happen to be on board.

“We greatly appreciate this help and provide specific doctors’ kits on all flights, to ensure fast treatment can be supplied.”