A cardiologist who suffered a cardiac arrest after landing in Dublin has said he was lucky it happened at Dublin Airport, rather than anywhere else.

Dr Farqad Alamgir is a consultant cardiologist who is based in the UK.

He said he is frequently in Ireland to teach people a procedure that he first did in Britain.

It was a routine trip to Dublin Airport four weeks ago when he collapsed after leaving the aircraft and clearing the escalator at arrivals in Terminal 2.

Advanced paramedics administered life-saving drugs at the scene before transferring Dr Alamgir to the Mater Hospital, where he underwent emergency heart bypass surgery.

Dr Alamgir explained: "The next thing I remember is waking up in the Coronary Care Unit, totally confused".

"I travel to Dublin frequently nearly once or twice a month to teach this procedure.

"Apparently I had a cardiac arrest... then I came to know what happened at the airport, and how lucky I was that it was Dublin Airport rather than anywhere else.

"It's considered one of the best for resuscitation facilities."

He said he suffered 17 minutes down-time and was tended to by an Aer Lingus staff member, airport police and fire service responders.

He has thanked all those involved for the care he received.

"I'm very, very thankful to that team for giving me this opportunity again to have a second go".

"The chances of recovery from this sort of an episode - out of hospital arrest what we call it - are not very good.

"But I have had no damage to my heart, no damage to my brain - and I underwent surgery without any complications.

"A thoroughly professional team, and the best thing that they did was that everybody knew what they were doing".

"The speed of the response not only saved my life, but the resuscitation was so effective that I have not suffered any neurological or cardiac muscle damage."

Dublin Airport chief fire officer Gerry Keogh said it was hugely rewarding.

"Our defibrillator programme began in 2003 and since then we have increased our defibrillator numbers to over 50 around the airport's campus.

"We also have two fully-trained advanced paramedics and two in training, and their new skills greatly enhance the emergency medical response to any incident at the airport.

"We were absolutely delighted to welcome Dr Alamgir back to Dublin Airport.

"It's a testament to the training, professionalism and team work of the airport's first responders that he was in a position to come back and meet those who saved his life."

He said he is doing well now, but the whole process is a little strange to him.

"I'm still trying to understand what happened - I'm used to standing on the other side, treating people rather than being treated.

"I'm trying to now do the same and help raise standards of CPR to the standard that I saw in Dublin - I'm already working on it and writing.

"I do a lot of travelling all around the world... so I'm writing to my home country, Pakistan - I'm trying to do the same at public places there and giving them this example that this is what we should be doing".

The airport's defibrillator CPR programme, which has saved 32 lives since it was first introduced in 2003, has recently added two fully trained advanced paramedics to the response team - with two more advanced paramedics currently in training.

Dublin Airport welcomes an average of 100,000 passengers per day during peak season, and has flights to more than 190 destinations in 42 countries.

Main image: Dr Farqad Alamgir is seen with emergency staff from Dublin Airport - Sgt Stephen Morris; Fire Officer Neil Shortall; Station Officer, Paul Furlong; Fire Officer, Paramedic Brendan Conway; Fire Officer, Advanced Paramedic James Canning; Fire Officer, Paramedic Roz O'Neil - along with his wife Farhat Alagmir and son Furqan Alamgir | Image: Dublin Airport