Shortage of Wheelchairs Cost an 80-Year-Old His Life
An 80-year-old man died at Mumbai’s International after having to walk 1.5 km from the aircraft to immigration area due to lack of wheelchairs.
The journey of an aged old couple turned into the worst nightmare possible when the husband died at the airport due to lack of wheelchairs. An Indian-origin Gujarati couple holding US passports was traveling from New York, USA to Mumbai via an Air India flight. The flight was scheduled to reach at 11:30am on 12th February but it got delayed and landed at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj airport at 2:10pm. Upon landing, the couple waited for their 2 pre-booked wheelchairs with assistants but only one showed up. The 80 year old husband let his wife sit in the wheelchair and decided to walk alongside despite being tired from traveling more than 16 hours in the delayed flight. He walked around 1.5 km to reach the immigration area and then suddenly collapsed because of a heart attack. He was taken to the Mumbai airport medical facility and then rushed to Nanavati hospital where he was declared dead. According to the reports, 32 passengers on that flight had requested a wheelchair but only 15 wheelchairs with assistants were waiting at the arrival. An Air India spokesperson clarified that the Air India employees had requested the 80-year-old man to wait till he was also provided with an assisted wheelchair but he opted to walk instead. The airlines have called it "an unfortunate incident" and said that it was "in constant touch with the family members of the bereaved, extending necessary assistance". One of the ground staff present at the arrival at the time of the incident said “We've often found that aged couples aren't comfortable parting with their spouse and traveling alone from the aircraft to the terminal. Those with mobility issues, and hearing problems prefer to stay with each other when moving from the aircraft through the terminal building."It's a well-known fact that many passengers seeking wheelchair assistance don't have any mobility issues and just want to avoid long walks inside international terminals but then there are some who prefer walking instead of using a wheelchair even if they are injured. 2 days back Hrithik Roshan posted a mirror selfie showing him standing with the support of crutches. He revealed that he got injured & pulled a muscle badly while shooting for his upcoming movie. In the caption of the same post, Hrithik recalled the time when his grandfather was injured but refused to be in a wheelchair at the airport. Hrithik revealed how he explained to his grandfather that his injury had nothing to do with his old age and how using the wheelchair will help in his recovery in the caption. He also claimed that it made him feel helpless & very sad to see how strong his grandfather needed to be just to hide his fear and embarrassment on the inside. But Hrithik’s grandfather didn’t agree with him & refused to use the wheelchair resulting in worsened his pain and delayed healing. He went on to talk about how men are conditioned to believe & act strong continuously despite the situation and disagreed with it. He claimed that he believes true strength is being relaxed, composed & fully aware that nothing, neither crutches & wheelchairs nor any inability or vulnerability can lessen or alter the image of the true strength that one holds on the inside.
