London, March 11: A doctor returning from a holiday in Jordan helped a woman give birth to a baby girl on a flight to the UK on Saturday, March 9. The flight was diverted to Italy so that the mother and the child could receive medical attention. The doctor, who arrived late for his shift at the hospital, received a grand welcome amid cheering.

According to the BBC report, Hassan Khan, the 28-year-old doctor at Basildon Hospital in Essex, was on a Wizz Air flight from Amman to London Luton Airport when the crew announced they needed a doctor. He said he found a 38-year-old woman lying on the floor outside the cockpit, with her waters broken. IndiGo Doctor Passengers Help Six-Month-Old Baby Suffering From Congenital Heart Disease on Ranchi-Delhi Flight.

Baby Born in Air

Khan said he used his skills in neonatal resuscitation to deliver the baby, who came out “a little bit blue”. He said he had to improvise with towels and no medical equipment, as the plane did not have an oxygen mask, a clamp for the umbilical cord, or a stethoscope.

Doctor Delivers Baby Girl on Flight

He said the woman, who was from Jordan and did not speak English, was very stressed, but he managed to calm her down with the help of a translator. Khan said the flight attendants told him the baby was only the 75th infant born on a commercial flight. Baby Delivered in Mumbai Local Video: Pregnant Woman Gives Birth On Local Train With Elderly Lady’s Help.

The plane was diverted to Brindisi Airport in southern Italy, where the mother and the baby were taken to a hospital. Mr Khan said he later received a message from the family that both of them were doing well. Khan said he was late for his shift at the hospital because of the diversion, but his colleagues were very impressed and congratulated him. He said he did not realise how significant the event was until he had time to process it. “People were saying it was miraculous. I only realised how significant it was after I had the chance to process it all,” he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 11, 2024 01:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).