EC chief von der Leyen saved a man's life on board an airplane

The head of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen, who has a medical background, saved the life of a passenger on a plane flying from Zurich to Brussels. This was reported on November 21 by the German newspaper Bild, citing a report from one of the passengers of Swiss Air flight LX780.

"The passenger had serious health problems. Usually the crew makes an announcement and asks if there is someone experienced on board who can help. <...> The first person to respond was none other than the president of the European Union Commission, Ursula von der Leyen," the media outlet noted.

The Swiss plane with emergency landing priority then landed in Brussels, where the patient was attended to by an emergency doctor. The other passengers had to wait for quite a long time to get off the plane, one of those on board told the publication.

The EC head herself quickly got into a black Mercedes, as she was in a hurry to attend an official meeting. The EU spokeswoman confirmed this fact to the newspaper, noting that the team of diplomats was returning from Rio de Janeiro, where the G20 summit is held, to Brussels when a person required medical assistance during the flight.

Von der Leyer studied medicine at the Hannover Medical School and holds a doctorate. According to the newspaper, this is not the first time she has helped passengers on board an airliner.

In March 2019, Veronika Skvortsova, then head of the Russian Health Ministry, provided emergency medical assistance to a female passenger on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Tashkent. The Uzbek citizen became ill on board, she had a sudden stomach ache. The cabin announced that a doctor was required, and Skvortsova was the first to respond. It was noted that the minister assessed the situation as non-life-threatening and brought medicines from her medicine cabinet. After taking medication, the passenger's condition improved. The delegation of the Russian Ministry of Health was on a two-day visit to Uzbekistan.