In a dramatic rescue, two young migrants suffering from severe benzene poisoning were urgently airlifted from Lampedusa to the hospital in Agrigento on June 10th, 2024. The migrants, who had recently landed on Lampedusa, had inhaled fuel fumes for an extended period while crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Italy.
Medical professionals at the San Giovanni di Dio hospital in Agrigento quickly administered a life-saving antidote. According to Giuseppe Bellavia, the hospital’s pharmacy director, “Thanks to the provision and administration of the antidote we have, the so-called ‘methylene blue,’ the two patients were saved from sure death, given the condition they were in when they arrived at the hospital.”
Gerlando Fiorica, head of the hospital’s intensive care unit, noted the rapid response to treatment, stating, “The patients immediately responded to treatment and are much better now. We are confident that we will be able to transfer them to the general medicine ward soon.”
The rescue operation took place in the context of broader efforts to save migrants in distress. On the evening of June 9, a total of 74 migrants were rescued off the coast of Lampedusa. Among them were 20 individuals saved by the NGO-run rescue ship Sea Punk1 and 54 others rescued by a finance police cutter.
These incidents highlight the perilous journeys many migrants undertake in their attempt to reach Europe, often facing life-threatening conditions during their passage across the Mediterranean. The use of the antidote methylene blue played a crucial role in saving the lives of the two young migrants in Agrigento, underscoring the importance of timely medical intervention in such emergencies.