Etihad Airlines Disregard for Passenger Health
My sister was on an Etihad Airways flight today when she became seriously ill. She wasn't able to hold anything down and became severely dehydrated. A doctor was found on board and he requested IV fluids from the crew. He was given an IV packet equivalent to 8 oz of fluid. When he asked for more fluids, the crew told him that the captain of the flight had refused. When the doctor told the captain that my sister needed more IV fluids or risked going into shock, the captain said the airline policy was not to give out more than one IV packet. My sister's condition was stabilized only because the doctor gave her some of his pregnant wife's anti-nausea medication. Thankfully, she was able to keep this down.
Does anyone know which government agency I can file a complaint with (I plan to file a separate complaint with the airline.) and where I can find information regarding what medical supplies an airline must keep on board during flights? We're not sure if the airline didn't have additional IV packets or just refused to hand more over (the captain simply said it was against airline policy to give out more than one packet of fluid).
This was a nearly 15 hour flight. My family truly feels that my sister was saved due to the care of this wonderful doctor who happened to be on board. It's worth mentioning that the crew tried to be helpful - it was the captain of this flight who was uncaring and unhelpful in this situation.
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