Rescue at 30,000 Feet

Dr. Jihad Bishara

Is there a doctor in the house, or in this case, on the airplane? Those words were heard by Dr. Jihad Bishara, Head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Rabin Medical Center, while on a flight home to Israel after attending a medical conference in the USA. Heeding the call for assistance, he found a group of very anxious American tourists huddled around one of their friends, a woman lying unconscious on the floor. Quickly checking her vital signs, Dr. Bishara found a weak pulse and low blood pressure. He hooked her up to an IV (which the airplane luckily had on board) and began an infusion of liquids. The woman slowly began to recover, but continued to feel faint throughout the flight, apparently as a result of a new beta blocker pill she had begun taking several days earlier. Dr. Bishara stayed by her side throughout, giving her liquid nourishment including coffee and brandy (he needed a glass as well). The woman got off the plane feeling a little stronger, and was very lucky that Dr. Bishara had been on her flight.

Related Articles

The Case of the Mysterious Cough


After eleven years of suffering from a persistent cough, for which there seemed to be no diagnosis or cure, Natan, age 61 is finally cough free.


read more »

Diabetes Care for the Arab-Israelis of Kfar Kassem


Kfar Kassem is a hilltop Arab-Israeli city located about twenty kilometers east of Tel Aviv, near the Green Line separating Israel and the West Bank.


read more »

Changing Lives from New Hampshire to Kfar Kassem, Israel


Leslie and David Schwartz, whose home is in New Hampshire, have always understood the importance of helping others, both in Israel and the United States. Yet perhaps different than many other supporters of Israel is that the Schwartz's take an active role in the causes which they support.


read more »