Homecoming: Guwahati boy flown to Hyderabad beats severe Influenza B

An eight-year-old boy from Guwahati, who developed severe pneumonia following an Influenza B infection and was left fighting for every breath, has made a recovery after being airlifted on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support to Hyderabad and spending 36 days on advanced life support at Rainbow Children’s Hospital.

The child was initially admitted to a hospital in Guwahati with severe pneumonia caused by Influenza B. Despite remaining on a ventilator for nearly a week, his condition continued to worsen and his oxygen levels remained critically low. With conventional treatment proving ineffective, the hospital activated its specialised ECMO Retrieval Team to undertake a cross-country rescue mission.

ECMO Specialist Dr. Kapil B. Sachane said the child remained on ECMO support for more than five weeks and required round-the-clock care from a multidisciplinary team. During the course of treatment, he also developed a difficult-to-treat infection, which further complicated his recovery. Despite the setbacks, the boy gradually improved and was successfully weaned off ECMO after 36 days. He is now clinically stable and ready to return home.