A nine-day-old baby with a serious heart defect who braved a helicopter ride from the Lakshadweep islands to the Cochin International Airport died on the way to the hospital here.
In the absence of adequate medical facilities on the island, the Lakshadweep administration had arranged to airlift the baby to Kochi for treatment at a private hospital. The hospital spokesperson said the baby had tentatively been diagnosed with total anomalous pulmonary venous connections (TAPVC), a congenital heart defect, but the team at the hospital had been awaiting his arrival for a clear diagnosis.
The helicopter arrived at the airport in Nedumbassery by 2 p.m. on Sunday, and a specially equipped ambulance was arranged for his transport to the hospital. But the baby, accompanied by a parent, suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance en route, the spokesperson said.
