Narrative:

Advised by flight attendants while parked at gate in boi, that during boarding an elderly deaf passenger fell. Passenger was assisted to her seat. Passenger indicated medical help was not desired. While airborne to ord, passenger requested flight crew member names for forwarding to her medical insurance company. Flight attendants once again asked if medical assistance was desired. The passenger declined, but at some point indicated a sore back due to fall. Due to the communication situation and passenger inference of potential future medical attention, I contacted chicago dispatch. Captain and dispatcher both decided that paramedics should meet the aircraft at gate and therefore requested such. We blocked in at gate in ord about 1 1/2 hours after initial dispatch contact. No paramedics were at gate. I called 'ramp control.' ramp said he chose not to call paramedics because he felt it was not an emergency. Ramp controllers do not have the authority/authorized to override a captain's or dispatcher's decision to call for medical help, yet this is what in fact happened. Ramp controllers need to be reminded of the limits to their authority/authorized to say the least. Passenger left assisted by gate agent, and flight attendants.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT AND DISPATCHER OF ACR REQUESTED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR PAX UPON ARR. CARRIER'S RAMP CTLR OVERRULED WITHOUT AUTH.

Narrative: ADVISED BY FLT ATTENDANTS WHILE PARKED AT GATE IN BOI, THAT DURING BOARDING AN ELDERLY DEAF PAX FELL. PAX WAS ASSISTED TO HER SEAT. PAX INDICATED MEDICAL HELP WAS NOT DESIRED. WHILE AIRBORNE TO ORD, PAX REQUESTED FLC MEMBER NAMES FOR FORWARDING TO HER MEDICAL INSURANCE COMPANY. FLT ATTENDANTS ONCE AGAIN ASKED IF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WAS DESIRED. THE PAX DECLINED, BUT AT SOME POINT INDICATED A SORE BACK DUE TO FALL. DUE TO THE COM SIT AND PAX INFERENCE OF POTENTIAL FUTURE MEDICAL ATTN, I CONTACTED CHICAGO DISPATCH. CAPT AND DISPATCHER BOTH DECIDED THAT PARAMEDICS SHOULD MEET THE ACFT AT GATE AND THEREFORE REQUESTED SUCH. WE BLOCKED IN AT GATE IN ORD ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS AFTER INITIAL DISPATCH CONTACT. NO PARAMEDICS WERE AT GATE. I CALLED 'RAMP CTL.' RAMP SAID HE CHOSE NOT TO CALL PARAMEDICS BECAUSE HE FELT IT WAS NOT AN EMER. RAMP CTLRS DO NOT HAVE THE AUTH TO OVERRIDE A CAPT'S OR DISPATCHER'S DECISION TO CALL FOR MEDICAL HELP, YET THIS IS WHAT IN FACT HAPPENED. RAMP CTLRS NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THE LIMITS TO THEIR AUTH TO SAY THE LEAST. PAX LEFT ASSISTED BY GATE AGENT, AND FLT ATTENDANTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.