In a first-of-its-kind medical feat, a team of doctors from Hyderabad flew to Goa in an air ambulance to rescue an 18-month-old child battling severe pneumonia. Within a span of 24 hours, they brought the child to Hyderabad, where the necessary medical treatment was administered.
The child was on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support during the flight. This is the first time such a medical intervention has taken place in the country, the doctors claimed. The child was diagnosed with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a complication that occurs in cases of severe pneumonia.
It all began on September 15, when senior consultant neonatologist at Rainbow Children’s Hospital Kapil B. Sahane received a distress call from Goa Medical College and Hospital at around 6 p.m. The child was suffering from pneumonia and had to be placed on the highest level of ventilator support, the doctor said.
