Elderly Woman in ICU After Wheelchair Denial by Air India
Click to start listening
Synopsis
On International Women’s Day, an 82-year-old woman suffered a fall at Delhi airport after Air India allegedly denied her a pre-booked wheelchair. She is now in ICU in Bengaluru. The airline has responded to the incident, stating that the claims are unfounded.
Key Takeaways
- 82-year-old woman falls at airport after being denied wheelchair.
- Incident occurred at Delhi airport.
- Air India claims the allegations are baseless.
- Granddaughter expresses outrage on social media.
- Woman is currently in ICU in Bengaluru.
New Delhi, March 8 (NationPress) On this International Women’s Day, an 82-year-old woman, reportedly deprived of a wheelchair by Air India personnel at the Delhi airport, has fallen and is now being monitored in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a hospital in Bengaluru.
The individual, Raj Pasricha, widow of a Lieutenant General, was heading to Bengaluru when she fell after traversing a long distance at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, as the airline did not provide the pre-booked wheelchair.
On the social media platform X, her granddaughter Parul Kanwar disclosed that her grandmother “has been in the ICU for two days and the left side of her body is losing strength.”
“I share this because I feel compelled and because it angers me that there is such a lack of respect for human life and health. Air India, you treated my grandmother with such disrespect and negligence. You should feel ashamed,” Kanwar stated.
Describing the incident, she mentioned that upon their arrival at the airport, they waited for “almost an hour” for a wheelchair, forcing the elderly woman to walk a considerable distance. Unfortunately, she fell near an airline counter, sustaining injuries including a bleeding lip and damage to her head and nose.
“Not a single person came forward to assist. We requested help for first aid - none was offered,” Kanwar remarked, noting that they even sought aid from “Indigo, who had a free wheelchair but refused to share it.”
Following her fall, Pasricha did not receive first aid immediately. When the wheelchair finally arrived, the elderly woman was allowed to board the aircraft without a thorough examination.
The cabin crew provided her with ice packs and informed the Bengaluru airport about the need for medical assistance.
Dismissing the accusations, Air India stated that the elderly woman “arrived at the departure terminal later than the recommended 2 hours before departure.”
“Due to the unprecedented demand at that time, a wheelchair could not be made available within the 15 minutes that the passenger’s relatives waited for it. The assertion that the passenger waited for an hour for the wheelchair is unfounded,” the airline claimed.
While the airline referred to the woman’s fall as “unfortunate,” they noted that the “airport doctor on duty immediately attended to her and provided first aid.”
The airline further stated that “additional medical attention was not accepted” by the woman, but that “Air India staff were polite, escorting them from check-in through priority security and boarding.”
“At no time was the wheelchair or any assistance denied to the passenger. Air India staff worked cooperatively with the guests throughout their journey,” the airline concluded.
