While Delhi and its surrounding National Capital Region were grappling with intense rains and sudden showers on July 31, a team of doctors at Fortis Gurugram successfully transplanted the heart of a 54-year-old brain-dead woman from Kolkata into a 34-year-old man from Rohtak, Haryana, who was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy.
The donor heart was received from a government hospital in Kolkata, where the 54-year-old road accident victim was admitted and later declared brain-dead.
After receiving approval from the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), the team of doctors from Fortis Hospital Gurugram went to Kolkata to retrieve the heart.
For swift transportation of the organ, Kolkata Police created a green corridor, and the heart was brought to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.
The heart was flown to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, and was smoothly transported from the airport via VIP exit.
The Delhi and Gurugram Police seamlessly coordinated to create a green corridor, enabling the organ to traverse the 18 km distance from IGI Airport to Fortis Hospital, Gurugram, in just 13 minutes despite heavy traffic congestion and sudden downpours.
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The entire process was managed in around 4 hours with the help and support of around 100 police officers. The heart was successfully transplanted by a team of doctors led by cardiothoracic vascular surgeon Dr. Udgeath Dhir. Post-transplant, the patient is stable and under constant observation in the cardiac ICU.
The 34-year-old recipient was brought to Fortis Gurugram in a critical state, with only 10-15 per cent of his heart functioning, and was registered on the NOTTO list for a heart transplant.
Although the heart failure protocol treatment had started, the patient faced significant financial challenges.
Considering his critical condition and lack of time, the administration team at Fortis Gurugram contacted the Haryana government for financial assistance and initiated a fundraiser campaign to support the treatment.
Giving details on the heart transplant, Dr. Dhir said, “Immediate heart transplant was necessary in this case because the patient was in a critically advanced heart failure stage due to dilated cardiomyopathy.
A heart transplant was the only option in this condition. With the close coordination of hospital staff, the traffic police, and IndiGo Airlines, the heart was transported and transplanted in time.
If the patient had not been treated promptly, he would have remained in advanced heart failure, with increased pulmonary artery pressures, becoming inoperable in the coming days with minimal chances of a heart transplant.
The patient is currently stable, and we should be able to mobilize him in the next couple of days.”
A spokesperson from IndiGo Airlines said, “We are humbled to have played a role in this life-saving effort. Our team at IndiGo was privileged to support the incredible medical professionals at Fortis Hospital, along with the dedicated police and government agencies, in ensuring the safe and timely transport of a precious heart to a waiting recipient.
Every second counts in such situations, and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to this successful outcome.
We would like to thank and commend our airport staff in Kolkata and Delhi, as well as our dedicated crew
WITH INPUTS FROM ANI
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