In a first, heart of brain dead man transported by Metro train in Hyderabad for transplant

I must thank Kamineni and ApolloHospitals for reaching out to us with this benevolentrequest, said LTMRHL Managing Director and Chief ExecutiveOfficer K V B Reddy.Green corridors had been created for transport of organsthrough roads in the past.

For the first time, a heartharvested from a brain dead man for transplant in a needypatient was transported in a metro train here on Tuesday withthe Hyderabad Metro Rail creating a green corridor for 21 kmbetween two city stations, officials said.

The special train carrying the heart harvested from a 45-year old left Nagole at around 4 pm and reached JubileeHills, in less than half-an-hour, breezing through the stretchof 21 km and crossing 16 stations, the L&T Metro Rail(Hyderabad) Limited said in a release.

An ambulance kept ready at the Jubilee Hills station tookthe vital organ to the Apollo Hospitals, where it would betransplanted in a 44-year old man.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep SinghPuri hailed the feat by the Metro Rail.

''Kudos to Hyderabad Metro Rail for making every heartbeatmatter. In a first, a special passenger-free green corridorenabled a train to cover 21 kms in 30 mts to transport a liveheart between two hospitals to save a precious human life,'' hetweeted.

The donor, a farmer from Nalgonda district, sufferedacute hemorrhagic bleeding and was declared brain dead at theKamineni Hospital. After his family decided to donate hisorgans, the heart was harvested, the Apollo hospital said in arelease.

It would give a new lease of life to the patient at theApollo Hospitals where he was admitted in a critical conditionabout a month and half ago with severe heart failure.

He was kept alive with continuous infusion of medicine,while scouting for a cadaver heart, the release said.

Dr A G K Gokhale of Apollo Hospitals, leading a team inthe complex transplant surgery, thanked both the Metro Railand the city police for the excellent support extended byorganising a 'green metro corridor' and enabling the seamlesstransportation of the heart in the quickest possible time, itsaid.

We are always at the service of people and this was aGod send opportunity for us to mobilise our resources towardssaving a precious life. I must thank Kamineni and ApolloHospitals for reaching out to us with this benevolentrequest,'' said L&TMRHL Managing Director and Chief ExecutiveOfficer K V B Reddy.

Green corridors had been created for transport of organsthrough roads in the past.