US Surgeon General Assists Delta Passenger With Medical Emergency
An airline passenger with a medical emergency was in luck on Wednesday when the United States Surgeon General was on board the same Delta flight and able to assist.
According to Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, crew on board the Delta flight asked passengers if there was a doctor on board to help with a medical emergency. "Why yes — yes there was," Adams tweeted. Adams, who has been the Surgeon General since September 2017, added, "Like a good USPHS officer, I was glad to be able to assist!"
"Prior to takeoff, Delta Flight 1827 from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Atlanta (ATL) returned to the gate following a customer illness," Delta said in a statement. "Medical assistance was provided by the US Surgeon General who worked with our flight crew to aid the customer. Delta thanks the Surgeon General for volunteering his services in assisting this customer."
According to ABC News, a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services said that the flight crew asked for help when a passenger lost consciousness while the flight was waiting to take off. Adams stepped in to help the passenger and was assisted by two nurses.
The spokesperson said that the passenger regained consciousness, but Adams recommended that they be taken to the hospital. Adams then called the passenger's spouse to explain what had happened and helped escort the traveler off the plane to awaiting medical personnel.
TPG reached out to the Surgeon General's office but did not immediately receive comment.
According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the flight was delayed for more than three hours. After originally scheduled to depart at 1:55pm, the aircraft turned around prior to leaving FLL and returned to the gate. The flight, operated by a Boeing 757-200, ultimately departed en route for ATL at 5:14pm.
Adams' biography notes that he is a board-certified anesthesiologist. After serving as the Indiana State Health Commissioner from 2014 to 2017, Adams was sworn into office as the 20th Surgeon General in September 2017.
