B737-700
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 203; Flight Crew Type 12000
Communication Breakdown
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution
Aircraft; Company Policy; Human Factors
We were informed by the A Flight Attendant that a passenger had had a seizure and that a physician was onboard and was attending to her. We attempted to establish contact with [communication services] with no joy. We then switched to [a different frequency]. We made contact with them and asked for a phone patch with Dispatch. They told us Dispatch could not come up on that frequency and that we would have to go through [communication services]. We were able to contact Dispatch via ACARS but this was a very slow process. Dispatch was aware of the communication problems and told us to try to re-establish radio contact in 10 to 15 minutes for better radio reception. After the passenger had another more severe seizure; I relayed my intentions to Dispatch to divert. This passenger was prone to seizures but did not bring her medicine we were told. It was my feeling that if we continued to [destination] that the seizures could worsen possibly ending in death. Dispatch sent the fuel burn data and we diverted to [a nearby alternate]. During the diversion we were able to contact [medical consultation] and relay all the necessary data. The Doctor at [medical consultation] didn't feel that the diversion was necessary; however; we had already elected to continue as per my above reason. Dispatch coordinated with Operations and airport EMS personnel. EMS was waiting at the gate; attended to the passenger; and removed her from the aircraft.The biggest frustration for me was not the medical emergency; it was not being able to establish communications with [communication services]; Dispatch; or [medical consultation]. We used the enroute radio frequencies published on the Release. To say the least; it was a 'cluster' as far as communicating. ACARS worked great but it is very slow and tedious for passing large amounts of data (at least from the pilot's end). HF radio would have helped a great deal! I strongly recommend that [for] our international [operations]; that we have HF or SATCOM at a minimum. The enroute radio frequencies on the Release need to be retested for transmission/reception accuracy. If we can't use these frequencies when we need them; then they are no good! Request we re-evaluate them to find out which ones really do work! The bottom line is that we really felt that we were all ALONE in this process. Waiting 10 to 15 minutes to establish communication during an emergency or possible emergency is just unsafe.
A B737-700 Captain on an international route reported he was unable to contact Dispatch in a timely manner when a passenger began having seizures.