31/01/2025
How a KNUST Alumnus Saved a Passenger’s Life in an 11-hour Flight from Kotoka International Airport to John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport, New York. ✈️🏥
A routine Delta Airlines flight from Kotoka International Airport, Accra, to John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport, New York, became the stage for a life-saving intervention when an urgent announcement called for medical assistance: "Is there a doctor on board?"
Among the passengers was Dr. Enoch Opoku Afriyie, a Specialist Emergency Medicine Physician from Ghana and a distinguished alumnus of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Four hours into the 11-hour journey over the Atlantic Ocean, Dr. Afriyie answered the call and led a high-stakes effort to save an elderly passenger’s life.
“I heard the announcement and instinctively knew I had to act,” Dr. Afriyie shared. “When I reached the passenger, he was unresponsive, had vomited, and had no carotid pulse. It was clear he was in cardiac arrest.”
Joining forces with a nurse and a pediatrician on board, Dr. Afriyie took charge of the situation. Utilizing limited resources, including an automated external defibrillator (AED) and oxygen supplies provided by the flight crew, the team performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and revived the passenger within minutes.
“We worked cohesively, and after five minutes, we restored his pulse and stabilized him for the rest of the flight,” Dr. Afriyie recounted. “It was a humbling moment that underscored the importance of teamwork and preparedness.”
Upon landing at JFK Airport, paramedics took over and transported the patient to a local hospital for further care.
Delta Airlines commended the medical team for their swift response. Meanwhile, Dr. Afriyie expressed gratitude to his colleagues and the airline for equipping their flights with essential medical tools.
