10-month-old infant dies in Athens hospital after choking on food in Rhodes, airlift attempt fails

The incident in Rhodes

A 10-month-old infant was rushed to the Rhodes Hospital shortly after 11 p.m. on Thursday evening after choking on food. The child arrived at the emergency department in an especially serious condition. Doctors on duty mobilized immediately and, after a major effort, managed to remove the piece of food that had lodged in the infant's throat. Despite the swift actions of the medical staff, the child's condition remained heavily burdened due to prolonged oxygen deprivation.

Emergency airlift to Athens

Because of the critical state of the infant's health, Greece's national emergency service (EKAB) was mobilized immediately and an urgent airlift was organized to a hospital in Athens. The transfer was carried out overnight, with medical efforts continuing throughout the flight. The specific Athens hospital receiving the child was not named in the reports.

Death in Athens

Despite the sustained efforts of the medical personnel both during the airlift and after arrival in the capital, the infant succumbed a few hours later. According to reports, the child died at 4:30 a.m. on Friday. The prolonged lack of oxygen following the choking incident had decisively worsened the infant's condition, and the medical interventions, including the successful removal of the foreign body from the airway and initial resuscitation in Rhodes, were ultimately not enough to save the child.

Medical response

Doctors at Rhodes Hospital managed to remove the obstruction and revive the infant after the initial choking episode. However, the period without adequate oxygen before and during the emergency response caused irreversible damage. The decision to transfer the child to Athens was made in light of the need for specialized care that could not be provided on the island.