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Rabat – A 59-year-old woman’s death aboard a Royal Air Maroc (RAM) flight earlier this week has sparked outrage and grave concerns over the adequacy of medical equipment and emergency preparedness onboard the Moroccan air carrier’s commercial flights.
Of particular concern is the condition of critical life-saving equipment, including the automated external defibrillator (AED), which passenger Rachida Arteaga, who was also onboard the flight bound for the United States from Casablanca, reported as defective.
Arteaga spoke with Morocco World News (MWN) to share the shocking details and concerns regarding the preventable tragedy.
The flight took off from the Casablanca International Airport at 3:55 PM local time. Approximately an hour into the flight, chaos ensued when a 59-year-old woman experienced a medical emergency, Arteaga recounted.
The elderly woman, who showed signs of distress and was having chest pains, attempted to make her way to the bathroom before collapsing in the aisle, Arteaga said.
According to the passenger’s account, there was no announcement made by the airline’s crew regarding the woman’s collapse or the need for medical assistance.
“They didn’t make any announcement or anything. They just somehow found a doctor, and he came and he started to do CPR on her and she was completely unconscious.”
Despite efforts from the doctor on board to administer CPR, the woman remained unresponsive. Around three to four minutes into the CPR attempts, the elderly woman’s son, who was accompanying her, became increasingly distraught; he started screaming and alerting others that his mother was turning blue.
Arteaga told MWN that despite the escalating concern and the son’s urgent pleas, no defibrillator was brought forward to aid in resuscitation.
Seven to 10 minutes into the CPR attempts to revive the woman, her son became more frantic and distressed as he screamed “she’s dead, she’s dead.”
His screams got the attention of other passengers, including a nurse that was sitting directly behind Arteaga.
‘Broken defibrillator’
The nurse realized the severity of the situation and approached the woman as she questioned the flight crew about the absence of the defibrillator. “Why did you not bring out the defibrillator? Where is the defibrillator?” she asked.
A defibrillator, also known as an automated external defibrillator (AED), is a portable device used to deliver an electric shock to the heart in cases of sudden cardiac arrest. This shock can help restore the heart’s normal rhythm and potentially save a person’s life.
The crew eventually brought the defibrillator and the nurse tried to use it to resuscitate the elderly woman. However, the defibrillator was “very old” and “completely not functional,” Arteaga said.
“It was completely broken. It did not work. I don’t know when was the last time they tested it,” the passenger told MWN.
A few minutes later the woman succumbed to her condition as the doctor pronounced her dead. The flight was then rerouted back to Casablanca at the request of the grieving son.
Upon landing, medical crews came on board to remove her body, and the son accompanied them. Following this, police officers conducted an investigation. The plane was then refueled and it departed again to its destination.
In the aftermath of the incident, Arteaga shared several critical concerns regarding the handling of the medical emergency onboard the RAM flight.
She noted, “the first problem is that the airline did not announce or make an announcement asking for medical personnel … I don’t know how they found the first doctor.”
The passenger also expressed dismay over the delayed use of life-saving equipment, as well as the inefficacy of the defibrillator.
She raised concerns about the need for improved emergency preparedness and the maintenance of medical equipment on commercial flights. “It’s a simple life-saving tool that can be used … It’s worth having it there.”
“It’s a very simple solution to have them onboard, have them tested once a year to make sure that they work, and train the staff to use them,” she stressed.
MWN has reached out to Royal Air Maroc regarding the tragic incident, but the airline declined to comment, apparently preferring to remain silent on such a tragic matter.
