Jet Airways in recent times have come under heavy criticism for not regulating their cabin pressure. Their failure has often seen a sudden drop in the cabin pressure, which has given the onboard passengers a painful experience while travelling in the Jet Airways flight.
In a similar incident, two months ago, a Mumbai-Jaipur flight with over 30 passengers was turned back to the Mumbai airport midway through its journey after a sudden loss in cabin pressure. The passengers were subject to extremely painful experience with one of them even being diagnosed with a permanent hearing loss. Read the Incident Here.
Mukesh Sharma, a PhD researcher from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, was travelling on the same flight on September 20 when a sudden fall in cabin pressure left him with a permanent hearing loss.
He visited the Jaipur Hospital for an audiometry test on November 12 after experiencing internal bleeding and difficulties in hearing.
“The reports revealed that I have suffered a permanent hearing loss. There were a number of soft sounds I wasn’t able to detect and unless a person is standing face-to-face with me and speaking, I am not able to listen to the words. While speaking on phone, I use my left ear as the right one is most affected,” Sharma was quoted as saying by Indiatimes.com.
Mr Darshak Hathi, who was also onboard that same flight narrated the ordeal the passengers had experienced on that fateful day.
Talking to news agency ANI, Mr Hathi said, “After we took off the AC malfunctioned, then air pressure system malfunctioned too & oxygen masks came out. Some of us experienced nose bleeding & headache.”
“The flight landed at Mumbai airport after an hour & we were told that we will be shifted to a different flight. This is an unfortunate incident,” he added.
The doctor, who is treating Sharma was quoted by Indiatimes as saying that professor is suffering from Barotrauma – a blockage of the Eustachian tube, which connects ear and mouth. It was caused due to air pressure difference.
“Apart from barotrauma, there was internal bleeding and swelling in all the patients along with tinnitus—a constant ringing sensation. He has suffered a sensorineural hearing loss (caused due to damage to the inner ear or to the nerve from ear to brain) and I suggested a cochlear implant as the permanent solution to the damage,” said the doctor.
The surgery will cost Sharma approximately Rs 5-6 lakhs or perhaps more. But the professor has no other option. “I have no other way as being a professor, listening and speaking are the basic necessity.”