Chennai: A 36-year-aged woman with brain injury had recently delivered a baby, and had suffered a cardiac arrest causing anoxic brain injury.
“The patient and her husband were on their student visas, and were unable to meet the medical costs in the USA. They researched on rehab centers in Tamilnadu, and her parents reached out to us for assistance. After detailed discussions with the family, we together decided to fly her down to Chennai to arrange the necessary rehabilitation and other management. Arranging the travel, internationally termed as ‘aero-medical evacuation’, was a huge challenge as the patient was dependent on oxygen support and a bed. Organisation of that was a joint effort that called for understanding, cooperation and collaboration of the family, healthcare professionals, airlines and the embassy,” said Dr Balamurali, head of department of spine surgery, Kauvery Hospital Chennai and managing director of Hamsa Spine & Brain Rehabilitation Centre.