Mumbai Man Whose Forehead Was Scalded by Coffee to Sue Qatar Airways

A Mumbai resident is contemplating legal action after his head was scalded during beverage service and then treated incorrectly on a Qatar Airways flight.

Manohar Suvarna, a Mumbai-based engineer, probably didn’t expect to end up in an ambulance after sitting down in seat 15C on Qatar Airways Flight 557 from Mumbai to Berlin — but, according to his recounting of the incident to the Mumbai Mirror, that’s exactly what happened.

Suvarna’s bad luck began during beverage service, when the passenger in the window-seat next to him asked for coffee and, while pouring a steaming cup, the flight attendant accidentally dropped the entire pot on his head. Suvarna said he was taken by surprise and instantly felt scalding pain on his forehead.

Granted, accidents happen — and Suvarna acknowledged that — but to make matters worse, crew members and on-board paramedics gave him improper treatment. According to A-TEC Ambulance operating procedures, the best practice when treating burns is to cover the affected area with a dry or saline-soaked sterile cloth, depending on the severity of the burn. Instead, crew members washed his forehead and applied burn gel. When the crew’s treatment didn’t seem to help, two on-board paramedics put a Band-Aid over Suvarna’s burn.

As expected, when the plane touched down and Suvarna was examined in an ambulance, another paramedic confirmed he’d received improper treatment onboard.

“The paramedic in the ambulance was really frustrated and surprised when he saw the Band-Aid tape on my forehead,” Suvarna told the Mumbai Mirror. “He asked me who put it there and said it was totally wrong and that the in-flight paramedics had permanently ruined my forehead skin.”

A large amount of Suvarna’s skin peeled off with the Band-Aid when the ambulance paramedic removed it. Suvarna is now soliciting legal advice, as he is considering suing the airline for its negligence and improper treatment.

[Photo: Mumbai Mirror]