New Delhi/Bengaluru: An 82-year-old woman has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital in Bengaluru after she fell and hurt herself at the Delhi airport on March 4. This happened after Air India failed to provide her a pre-booked wheelchair.
The incident came to light on Friday after the woman’s granddaughter Parul Kanwar shared the incident through ‘X’. She also shared photographs of her grandmother in hospital, with severe injuries on the left side of her face.
Air India expressed ‘concern’ and assured that ‘complete details’ would be shared with Kanwar at the earliest.
According to Kanwar, Air India had confirmed the availability of a wheelchair but none was allotted even after repeated requests. Her grandmother apparently waited for an hour outside the airport.
“With no other option, this old lady slowly made her way across 3 parking lanes at T3 New Delhi, on foot with assistance from a family member. She managed to enter the airport on foot, still no wheelchair or assistance was provided. Ultimately, her legs gave way, and she fell – she fell in front of the Air India premium economy counter. Not one person stepped in to help. We requested someone to help get first aid – no help,” Kanwar’s posted.
She has claimed that her grandmother is under observation in the ICU for possible brain bleeds. The elderly woman is apparently losing strength in the left side of her body. Kanwar stated that a wheelchair was finally allotted but her grandmother received no medical aid at the airport.
“Expectation from Air India staff was for the family member to go to the MI (medical inspection) room and get medical aid. Finally, the wheelchair arrived, and she was promptly boarded without a proper checkup with a bleeding lip and injury to her head and nose. On flight crew did help with ice packs and called ahead to Bangalore airport for medical aid. She was attended to by a doctor there and two stitches were administered,” she added.
Air India responded to her posts and shared: “Dear Ms. Kanwar, we sincerely wish your grandmother a speedy recovery. We are actively working on the concern and assure you that we will share the complete details at the earliest.”
