Death on Singapore Airlines Flight: Doctors' Desperate Efforts Fail

A middle-aged passenger died of a heart attack on Singapore Airlines flight SQ378 from Singapore to Milan, despite three doctors and trained cabin crew members trying to save him for about half an hour. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, 5 November, when a call suddenly rang in the cabin requesting for a doctor aboard.

Gastroenterologist Dr. Desmond Wai, who was on the plane with his family on vacation, stood up without hesitation upon hearing the call. It was later learned that the deceased was suffering from liver cancer and was traveling with his wife.

Going to the back of the cabin, Dr. Wai reportedly saw the man lying unconscious on the floor, and the cabin crew had already prepared an AED, resuscitation kit, and emergency medicines.

Emergency Medical Efforts

In the narrow space of the cabin, three doctors took turns giving CPR and used the defibrillator several times. The crew cooperated quickly and calmly throughout the process, following all instructions.

Dr. Wai said they had worked in such situations before, but the limited equipment and turbulence inside the plane made the task more difficult.

After about 30 minutes of fighting for his life, it was clear that the patient’s condition was not improving. After prolonged efforts, the doctors advised the cabin crew to stop resuscitation.

Stress And Humanity

Dr. Wai later said that he had a moral responsibility as a doctor. He said that it was always difficult to break the news of failure, especially when the patient’s wife thanked him with tears in her eyes for his efforts.

He felt that not all lives could be saved, even after a thousand attempts. This is the reality of the medical profession.

The cabin crew deeply thanked the three doctors for their professionalism. The stress of the incident shook all the passengers and staff on the plane.

Protocol After Landing

When the plane arrived in Milan, the doctors had to give a detailed statement in accordance with local authorities’ rules. The passenger’s identity has not been disclosed for the sake of the investigation.

Singapore Airlines expressed its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. It expresses its gratitude to the doctors and passengers who assisted. It also decided not to release additional information due to confidentiality reasons.