Organ recipient gets new life in city’s lifeline

In a first, organ transported by local train saves patient

In a first, a local has been used as a ‘Green corridor’ to transport an organ from one hospital to another, saving precious time by avoiding traffic congestion and ensuring the organ reached the destination in the nick of time. The execution was perfect with proper coordination by doctors, Central Railway (CR) and traffic police.

The organ donor was a 53year-old man who had met with an accident and was admitted to Jupiter Hospital on February 13. However, two days later, the patient had stopped responding to the treatment and was declared braindead. The family were unaware of organ donation of braindead patients and a way to keep their loved one alive through the organs.

“The family was counselled regarding organ donation and after their consent, the doctors prepared for liver donation. Moreover, since the patient had undergone a heart bypass surgery, his heart could not be retrieved. That is why, his liver was donated,” said a doctor from Jupiter hospital who operated upon the patient.

On Friday, the patient’s doctors had been informed of a 30-year-old patient in Global hospital who was in need of a liver and was slated to undergo a liver transplant. The doctors retrieved the patient’s liver and stored it in an ice-box and left Jupiter Hospital at 2.50pm. The medical team decided to use the local and reached Thane station at 3pm and boarded a train for Dadar. The medical team used the first class compartment. The train reached Dadar at 3.35pm and an ambulance was waiting to receive the organ outside platform 6 at Dadar.

“The ambulance was earmarked for a liver transplant at Parel’s Global Hospital. The ambulance took nearly 10 minutes to reach Parel and the liver recipient was being readied for a transplant.”

A CR senior official said the Dadar station manager was informed about it. “For safe and swift passage of liver transportation, a dedicated line was created by the railway police force at Dadar. We also alerted traffic police outside Dadar station for smooth movement of the ambulance,” he said.