Thank God for travelling doctors. Alena Fedchenko, a Ukrainian ear, nose and throat doctor who was on her way to Vietnam for a holiday went doctor mode when the Qatar crew announced that they were urgently looking for a doctor.
Instead of reclining her seat and enjoying some much needed R&R time before the start of her holiday, Fedchenko rushed to help. The crew led her to a room where a woman was in labour, lying on the floor. Fedchenko told BBC News that she was worried something would go wrong.
The doctor is believed to have calmed the mother-to-be and tried her best to make the delivery fast and safe. Within 20 minutes a healthy baby boy was born.
undefinedShe said of the delivery: “Not a single muscle was trembling. I just simply started doing what I had to do. I put on gloves and prepared the woman. The baby was about to come out. It was the second stage of labour.
"The delivery was quick, and thankfully, without complications. The woman did not yell at all. I kept telling her everything would be all right, that I was a doctor and she was in safe hands,” she told BBC News.
Delighted to welcome a new member on the flight last night.
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) February 4, 2020
We'll be waiting for the baby's call in 20 years time to join us in the flight deck. 👶➡️🧑✈️ https://t.co/SXbotRLy1U
The crew decided to bump up Fedchenko to Business Class and immediately offered her some champagne.
According to the Hindustan Times, the captain of the flight made an emergency landing at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Internationa airport in Kolkata.
The mom and baby were rushed to a nearby hospital on arrival. After a wait, the flight departed to Thailand.
Source: BBC News and Hindustan Times.