Both pilots and flight attendants have to be prepared for the unknown during a flight. From flying during turbulence to tending to a nauseated or anxious passenger, flight staff must have the patience, skill, and speed to work through these situations to ensure a safe, positive flight experience for everyone.
But there are times where airline employees may be unable to assist a passenger who, say, is having a certain medical condition. In these cases, the pilot must make a safe emergency landing to get the passenger to the hospital in a timely manner.
For a Chinese man during a 13-hour flight from Guangzhou, China to New York, he faced a potentially-fatal medical problem. The anonymous man was on the Boeing 787 on China Southern Flight CZ399 for six hours when he began experiencing severe pain to the point where he was “hardly able to bear it anymore.”
Although the medical emergency was unexpected, the man had a history of prostate enlargement, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This condition can a weak urine stream and/or the inability to urinate as some of its symptoms. If not treated, an enlarged prostate may lead to urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney stones, problems with the nerves that control the bladder, and possible prostate or bladder cancer.
Luckily, Dr. Zhang Hong just so happened to be on the same flight. Although he lacked the proper medical equipment at the time, what he didn’t lack was strong medical knowledge and quick wit. And thanks to his practicality, he was able to utilize an oxygen mask, a syringe, and a straw to create a makeshift catheter. With the “catheter,” he was able to suck 800 milliliters of urine from the man’s bladder in 37 minutes.
According to Dr. Hong, who’s head of vascular surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, “If we had not dealt with the situation in time, the patient’s life would have been at risk.”
Although Dr. Hong believes helping the man was the least he could do and that saving people is in his instincts, he still deserves the title of “hero.” Not only did he perform voluntary work off-duty, but the doctor used whatever items he could find on the plane at the time to clear the man’s bladder. And thanks to him, the passenger he helped was able to enjoy the flight for the remaining seven hours without excruciating pain.
Watch Dr. Hong save the passenger below. No matter what he says, he’s a true hero!
