HYDERABAD: In a first, Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMRL) helped transport a live heart between LB Nagar and Jubilee Hills in a span of 43 minutes during peak traffic time of 4.33 pm to 5.16 pm.
The heart was donated by the family of a 45-year-old brain dead patient in Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar. The heart had been allocated by Jeevandan programme, which coordinated the transplantation to Apollo Hospital’s Jubilee Hills branch, roughly 25 km from Kamineni Hospital.
Owing to the long commute between the hospitals, the Apollo transplant team, headed by Heart and Lung Transplant surgeon Dr AGK Gokhale, decided to approach the HMRL to provide a green channel.
“The road between the hospitals would have had heavy traffic, including ongoing road works. While we did consider asking help from the traffic police, these slowdowns would still have caused delays, which is why we opted for the Metro,” said Anoop Antony, transplant coordinator of Apollo Hospital, Jubilee Hills.
The Apollo Hospital’s eight-member transplantation team thus started from Kamineni hospital at around 4.20 pm and reached the Nagole Metro Station, which is about 5.6 km away by road.
“The special train with no stoppages began from the Nagole station at 4.40 pm and paced through the entire stretch of 21 kilometres non-stop, crossing 16 stations up to Jubilee Hills checkpost,” said NVS Reddy, HMRL MD.
“The recipient was critical with a failing kidney and heart. He had waited for over two months for the right match. If not for the donor’s family coming forward and for HMRL’s swift response, this would not have been possible. Usually, a heart needs to get blood supply within four hours after being harvested, which is why even a 30-minute delay would have been costly,” said Dr Gokhale.
Family distraught, but makes critical call
It was a 45-year-old farmer, Narain Reddy, from Yadadri Bhongir district, whose heart was donated to an individual in Hyderabad on Tuesday. The farmer had suffered a haemorrhagic bleed, resulting in brain death, after he collapsed at his home a day ago.
“When we got him to the doctor, they said he will not recover. We were shocked, but the doctors told us we can donate his heart and save another life. We thought about it and his wife also agreed,” said V Sridhar Reddy, the donor’s elder brother. Narain Reddy is survived by his wife and two children.
“We have suffered a great loss, however, knowing that so much could be accomplished, we are glad,” added Sridhar.
Timeline
4.33 pm: The transplantation team starts from Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar
4.38 pm: Team reaches Nagole Metro Station
4.39 pm: They board the Metro
5.11 pm: Team reaches Jubliee Hills Checkpost Station
5.16 pm: Team reaches Apollo Jubilee Hills Hospital
Distance covered by road
4.3 km: between Kamineni Hospital and Nagole Metro Station
2.1 km: between Jubliee Hills Checkpost and Apollo Hospital, Jubliee hills
21 km: distance covered by Metro