MAKKAH: A Saudi doctor is being hailed a hero and has received an award after helping a man who fainted on an Air Canada flight.
Dr. Awrad Mohammed Nasrallah, a scholarship student, told Arab News recently that she made herself known to members of the cabin crew after a flight attendant asked if there was a doctor onboard.
“I was able to immediately intervene and provide him with first aid until he fully regained consciousness,” Nasrallah said.
She added: “The patient was suffering hypotension so I administrated an IV fluid until he began to gradually regain consciousness.
“We did not need to make an urgent landing and the Canadian aircrew in the plane was in direct contact with the medical staff on Canadian soil who approved my treatment plan.”
Nasrallah said it was her duty as a medical professional to treat anyone who needs help. “I spent more than five years in Canada, and our message as doctors is clear: to serve all humans.”
“The cabin crew was grateful and thankful for the help I was able to provide. My studies in general surgery at the University of Alberta allowed me to deal with emergency cases.”
She received a certificate of appreciation from the Saudi cultural attache in Canada on Sunday for her efforts to save the passenger, in addition to her scientific excellence.
Nasrallah has distinguished herself in many medical fields and was recognized as one of the top 20 doctors in the Canadian province of Alberta for her work treating the lung condition empyema.
She was also named among the top 10 resident doctors in the University of Alberta’s surgery department for scientific and practical supervision of medical students and recently graduated doctors.
Nasrallah also received the Sr. Mark’s Award from the University of Alberta in recognition of her outstanding performance as a member of the general surgery team during the COVID-19 pandemic.
