A doctor from the Post Graduate Institute for Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh saved the life of a former Indian Army officer on a flight from Bengaluru to Delhi on Sunday, December 22, by stabilising him after his blood sugar levels dropped while on board.

Assistant Professor Ritin Mohindra from the Division of Acute Care and Emergency Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, PGIMER Chandigarh, was returning from Bengaluru to Delhi when flight attendants declared an emergency on board the IndiGo plane.

He informed that the passenger, who was 44 years old, was complaining of uneasiness, headache and weakness on the left side of the body when the flight was 1.5 hours from Delhi airport.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Mohindra said, “An announcement was made asking if any doctor was on board as there was an emergency. I immediately asked the man about his history and medicines and got to know that it was suspected hypoglycemia.”

Realising that the passenger’s blood sugar levels dropped, the doctor asked the flight attendants to bring him sugar syrup and other sweet items.

"After a few minutes, he recovered. He was better after the treatment. I sat with him through the rest of the time. He told me he was an ex-Army man and thanked me for the immediate help. The crew asked if there was a need for an emergency landing but the man had recovered,” the doctor said.

In appreciation and gratitude for his aid, the flight’s crew gave the doctor a gift card and a personalised “thank you” note.