المرض حالة ضعف يحتاج معها الإنسان لمن يتعاطف معه ويساعده، والسفر له مشقته ووعثاؤه، فإذا اجتمعا كان الضعف مضاعفاً والخوف من التداعيات أكبر.
المرض في السفر مربك، ويكون أشدّ حينما يقع في الطائرة، حيث المساحة ضيّقة والحركة محدودة والإمكانات الطبية شحيحة.
قوانين الطيران الدولي راعت هذا الجانب وأولت سلامة المسافر أهمية كبرى، فألزمت الشركات بوجود حقيبة إسعافات وأجهزة أساسية مثل جهاز تنظيم ضربات القلب (AED) وأسطوانات الأوكسجين، وفرضت على الطاقم تقديم الدعم الطبي في حدود ما تدربوا عليه، وسمحت لقائد الطائرة بالعودة أو الهبوط الاضطراري متى استدعت الحالة.
الأسبوع الماضي كتب أحد المسافرين منشوراً على منصة «X» روى فيه معاناة والدته من نقص الأوكسجين أثناء السفر ورفض أحد أفراد الطاقم استخدام الأسطوانة القريبة من المقعد.
المنشور أثار نقاشاً واسعاً بين متعاطف مع المريضة وملقٍ باللوم على المضيف، وهنا تكمن الإشكالية، فالمريض (أو قريبه) يرى الأمر من زاوية إنسانية عاجلة بينما الطاقم ملزم بأنظمة دقيقة ومحاذير محددة في استخدام الأدوات الطبية وفق تعليمات الشركة واللوائح الدولية، خشية سوء الاستخدام أو نفادها قبل الضرورة القصوى.
الإحصاءات العالمية تكشف أن الحالات الطبية على متن الطائرات ليست استثناء، فالدراسة التي أجرتها مجلة New England Journal of Medicine بيّنت أن حالة واحدة تقع لكل 604 رحلات، أي ما يفوق 61 ألف حالة سنوياً، أما اتحاد النقل الجوي الدولي «IATA» فأكد أن ما بين 2% إلى 5% من الرحلات الطويلة تشهد حالة طبية تحتاج إلى تدخل الطاقم أو طبيب على متن الرحلة، أكثر الحالات شيوعاً هي الإغماء وصعوبة التنفس وألم الصدر وارتفاع الضغط، في 6% فقط من هذه الحالات اتخذ قائد الطائرة قرار الهبوط الاضطراري حفاظاً على حياة الراكب، وكأن السماء على سعتها تضع الإنسان أمام هشاشته بأوضح صورها، وتذكّره أن التكنولوجيا مهما تقدّمت لا تعفيه من ضعفه البشري.
الأرقام توضّح أن ما يبدو حادثاً فرديّاً هو في الحقيقة واقع متكرر، ومن هنا تأتي أهمية وعي المريض بحقوقه ومعرفة المسافرين بالإجراءات النظامية، حتى لا يختلط الشعور الإنساني بالخوف مع سوء فهم التعليمات، فالتثقيف بآليات التعامل مع الحالات الطبية يعزّز الثقة ويؤكد أن ما يُظنه أحياناً «قسوة» من الطاقم قد يكون «التزاماً ضرورياً» بالسلامة.
في النهاية، الوعكة في الطائرة تجربة إنسانية حساسة، تتقاطع فيها الرحمة مع النظام، وتحتاج من الجميع إلى وعي وتقدير.. من المسافر أن يعرف ما له وما عليه، ومن الطاقم أن يوازن بين التعليمات والإنسانية، وعلى الشركات الناقلة أن تدرك أن حسن التعامل مع هذه الحالات جزء من سمعتها، وأن تدريب المضيفين على الصبر والتفهم في مواجهة مختلف المواقف الطبية يعدّ استثماراً في ثقة المسافر وولائه، فمهما ضاقت الدروب ينبغي أن تتسع القلوب.
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
The illness is a state of weakness that requires a person to have someone who empathizes with them and helps them. Traveling adds to the difficulties and challenges, so when both occur together, the weakness is compounded and the fear of the consequences is greater.
Illness while traveling is confusing, and it becomes more severe when it occurs on an airplane, where space is limited, movement is restricted, and medical resources are scarce.
International aviation laws have taken this aspect into account and have given great importance to the safety of travelers, requiring companies to have a first aid kit and essential devices such as an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and oxygen cylinders. They have mandated that the crew provide medical support within the limits of their training and have allowed the pilot to return or make an emergency landing whenever the situation calls for it.
Last week, a traveler wrote a post on the platform "X" recounting his mother's struggle with a lack of oxygen during the flight and how a crew member refused to use the cylinder near her seat.
The post sparked a wide discussion between those sympathizing with the patient and those blaming the crew, and here lies the issue. The patient (or their relative) sees the matter from an urgent human perspective, while the crew is bound by precise regulations and specific cautions regarding the use of medical tools according to company instructions and international regulations, fearing misuse or running out of supplies before the utmost necessity.
Global statistics reveal that medical cases on airplanes are not an exception. A study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that one case occurs for every 604 flights, which exceeds 61,000 cases annually. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) confirmed that between 2% to 5% of long flights experience a medical situation that requires crew intervention or a doctor on board. The most common cases are fainting, difficulty breathing, chest pain, and high blood pressure. In only 6% of these cases did the pilot decide to make an emergency landing to preserve the passenger's life, as if the vast sky presents a person with their fragility in the clearest forms, reminding them that no matter how advanced technology becomes, it does not exempt them from their human weakness.
The numbers clarify that what seems like an individual incident is, in fact, a recurring reality. Hence, the importance of the patient being aware of their rights and travelers knowing the regulatory procedures arises, so that human feelings of fear do not mix with misunderstandings of instructions. Educating about the mechanisms for dealing with medical cases enhances trust and confirms that what may sometimes be perceived as "cruelty" from the crew could be a "necessary commitment" to safety.
In the end, an illness on an airplane is a sensitive human experience, where compassion intersects with regulation, requiring awareness and appreciation from everyone. The traveler should know their rights and responsibilities, while the crew must balance between instructions and humanity. Transport companies should realize that good handling of these cases is part of their reputation, and training the crew on patience and understanding in facing various medical situations is an investment in traveler trust and loyalty. No matter how narrow the paths may become, hearts should remain open.
Illness while traveling is confusing, and it becomes more severe when it occurs on an airplane, where space is limited, movement is restricted, and medical resources are scarce.
International aviation laws have taken this aspect into account and have given great importance to the safety of travelers, requiring companies to have a first aid kit and essential devices such as an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and oxygen cylinders. They have mandated that the crew provide medical support within the limits of their training and have allowed the pilot to return or make an emergency landing whenever the situation calls for it.
Last week, a traveler wrote a post on the platform "X" recounting his mother's struggle with a lack of oxygen during the flight and how a crew member refused to use the cylinder near her seat.
The post sparked a wide discussion between those sympathizing with the patient and those blaming the crew, and here lies the issue. The patient (or their relative) sees the matter from an urgent human perspective, while the crew is bound by precise regulations and specific cautions regarding the use of medical tools according to company instructions and international regulations, fearing misuse or running out of supplies before the utmost necessity.
Global statistics reveal that medical cases on airplanes are not an exception. A study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that one case occurs for every 604 flights, which exceeds 61,000 cases annually. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) confirmed that between 2% to 5% of long flights experience a medical situation that requires crew intervention or a doctor on board. The most common cases are fainting, difficulty breathing, chest pain, and high blood pressure. In only 6% of these cases did the pilot decide to make an emergency landing to preserve the passenger's life, as if the vast sky presents a person with their fragility in the clearest forms, reminding them that no matter how advanced technology becomes, it does not exempt them from their human weakness.
The numbers clarify that what seems like an individual incident is, in fact, a recurring reality. Hence, the importance of the patient being aware of their rights and travelers knowing the regulatory procedures arises, so that human feelings of fear do not mix with misunderstandings of instructions. Educating about the mechanisms for dealing with medical cases enhances trust and confirms that what may sometimes be perceived as "cruelty" from the crew could be a "necessary commitment" to safety.
In the end, an illness on an airplane is a sensitive human experience, where compassion intersects with regulation, requiring awareness and appreciation from everyone. The traveler should know their rights and responsibilities, while the crew must balance between instructions and humanity. Transport companies should realize that good handling of these cases is part of their reputation, and training the crew on patience and understanding in facing various medical situations is an investment in traveler trust and loyalty. No matter how narrow the paths may become, hearts should remain open.


