Eastbay1K

Yesterday, on AM MEX/EZE, right after an on-time door closure, I saw a flight attendant walking quickly with an oxygen tank from the forward galley to somewhere in the nether reaches of the plane. (I was in Row 2.) Doors were then disarmed and at least 2L was reopened. After a few minutes, an "Is there a doctor onboard" announcement occurred. After just over an hour, another announcement that the ill passenger has been removed by ambulance and now we need to remove her luggage from the aircraft" announcement occurred. (An aft door must have been opened, but from row 2, one was just hoping for a beverage service during this delay, which never occurred.)

I was rather surprised that the immediate reaction was not for onsite airport medical personnel to come onboard. Maybe initially she didn't seem "that ill." Well, she seemed ill enough for immediate oxygen. Maybe the nearest medical personnel were too far away. Maybe the airport isn't well-equipped.

In any event, I was glad to have an at-the-gate delay of about 75 minutes instead of a diversion to some who-knows-where airport where they've never seen a 787.

zerolife

It took them nearly one hour to remove the ill passenger? Sounds quite long..

BJM

I am sure beverage service to F class passengers is foremost on the crew's minds during a medical situation.

MSPeconomist

When a DL EU-USA flight did a medical diversion to an airport in Canada, after the patient was off the aircraft (taken by paramedics into the terminal via the jetway), FAs did serve a round of beverages: whatever we wanted in business class and a round of water in coach. At that point, only the purser (and the doctor who had been taking care of the person and helping to decide whether to divert) was occupied with paperwork. The pilots needed to file a new flight plan and see the right amount of fuel added. The situation was complicated by the fact that the ill passenger, who was traveling along, was from a developing country and did not have a visa for Canada. Her bags were removed from the aircraft. Overall, we were on the ground a bit over an hour, in fact maybe about 75 minutes.

NauticalWheeler

My thoughts as well. To be fair though, I am not sure OP was being serious when she mentioned the lack of beverage service.

writerguyfl

Or, perhaps the cabin crewmember simply brought the oxygen "just in case" it was needed.

MSPeconomist

OP is a he.

SeriouslyLost

At MEX? Sounds spectacularly fast to me.

Kevin AA

When it takes an hour to remove one person while sitting at the gate? Nope, FA laziness.

kcupp95

Was probably the patient arguing that it was "just a funny moment" and thinking that they would quickly get better enough to be able to continue flying.

rumbataz

This is the kind of incident you just need to take on the chin. One day that passenger may be you or a loved one that you're travelling with.

Eastbay1K

Oh, I was thrilled that there was no emergency inflight. My real point here (for those who might not have found it obvious) is the time it took to get outside help. One would think that at the gate, with the door open isn't the time to call for a doctor when airport emergency personnel should be there. Perhaps an FA was providing first aid. Perhaps not.

CitizenWorld

Be thankful that you weren't mid air and that you weren't the doctor dealing with the emergency. I can tell you right away that :

1. You really are on your own up there
2. There's f*** all you can do with the onboard first aid kit in a true emergency
3. If we're flying we're probably just trying to get away from our jobs and have a vacation

weero

Maybe the airport folks have seen a 787 inside and knew how terrible it was ... and hence did not want to board it ?

emma dog

How do you know they didn't call for medical personnel on the ground simultaneously with onboard the plane?

As a physician, I appreciate their efforts to obtain the fastest qualified people to find help for the passenger. Give the paucity of facts related to this passenger's specific health condition, we can only speculate on the specific medical needs they had.