Indian Express: Infant dies on flight, NRI parents say he was healthy

Article from Indian Express: Infant dies on flight, NRI parents say he was healthy

SOBHANA K / Preeti Jha
Posted online: Friday, June 20, 2008 at 0210 hrs IST
New Delhi, June 19
Minutes from landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on June 17, Krishnamoorthy and Sujata Mohan noticed that their four-and-a-half-month-old baby, Aditya, had stopped suckling. He was declared dead on arrival.

Travelling on Jet Airways Flight 229 from Toronto to Bangalore via Delhi, the Mohans are Non Resident Indians living in Canada, where Krishnamoorthy, 37, works for a software company. Their baby, Aditya, was a Canadian citizen. He was the couple's first baby.

During the descent of the aircraft, Krishnamoorthy said the airline staff advised his wife to feed the baby to ease the air pressure in his ears. “But while feeding, he (Aditya) suddenly stopped suckling and went still,” said Krishnamoorthy.
The cabin crew was immediately alerted. The pilot made an announcement, requesting any doctor on board to help.

Even though one of the passengers was a doctor and came forward to help, he could not revive the baby. “He (the doctor) examined the baby, but didn't sound very positive,” said Krishnamoorthy. The cabin crew, meanwhile, alerted the ground staff to keep a doctor on hand, who, upon examining the baby, declared him dead on arrival.

The police boarded the aircraft and took a statement from the Mohans, after which they took the baby to the Safdarjang Hospital mortuary. The postmortem was conducted yesterday and the body was handed over to the family. The police are carrying out further investigations.
The Mohans are in shock. “I don't know why it happened —whether it was the level of oxygen or the temperature in the cabin. Prior to travelling we had a medical check done on Aditya. The doctor said he was a healthy boy,” said Krishnamoorthy.

The couple alleged that the airline personnel were of little help when they entered the immigration hall carrying the baby. “I shouted out for some privacy. All they did was move us to a cabin with an open glass door. The staff lacked even basic courtesy,” Krishnamoorthy said. “Nobody from Jet has even called us to offer condolences.”
The couple, who are waiting for the postmortem report, are undecided about pressing charges against the airline. “I do not know at this point of time,” Krishnamoorthy said.

A Shivanandan, General Manager, Corporate Communication, Jet Airways, said: “We cannot comment on the baby's death because we do not know what his medical condition was. But we provided all the help we could. There was a doctor on board, but the baby could not be revived.”