Race against time: Heart flown from Kolkata to give 34-year-old a new life at Fortis Hospital, Gurugram

Race against time: Heart flown from Kolkata to give 34-year-old a new life at Fortis Hospital, Gurugram

~Amidst the gushing rains and traffic snarls distance of 18 kms from Delhi IGI airport to Fortis Gurugram was covered in mere 13 mins via the Green Corridor~

~First Heart Transplant at Fortis Gurugram~

Gurugram, 02 August 2024: While the entire Delhi/NCR region was struggling with intense rains and sudden showers on 31st July 2024, 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 the patient was declared brain dead. After receiving approval from 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 via Indigo Airlines 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 downpour.

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 Dr. Udgeath Dhir, Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery, Fortis Gurugram. Post-transplant, the patient is under constant observation in Cardiac ICU and is stable.

The 34-year-old recipient was brought to Fortis Gurugram in a critical state, with only 10-15% of his heart functioning, and was registered on the NOTTO list for a heart transplant. Although the heart failure protocol treatment was 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.

Within a few days, Fortis Gurugram received a call about a potential donor in Kolkata. Fortis immediately reached out to Indigo Airlines for assistance in transporting the heart which was readily accepted. 

Giving details on the heart transplantation, Dr Udgeath Dhir, Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram 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.”

Mr. Yash Rawat, Facility Director at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said, “This is the 1st Heart Transplant at Fortis Gurugram. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the donor’s family for deciding to donate an organ and save a life, despite their immense grief. We would like to thank The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) for smoothly facilitating the donation process. We are immensely grateful for the prompt response from Indigo Airlines as well as Kolkata, Delhi and Gurugram police for creating the green corridor, allowing swift transportation of the heart. I also thank the government for prioritizing and providing all necessary security and support. This coordinated effort underscores the critical importance of collaboration in saving lives.”

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 members, for their swift action and unwavering commitment to this critical mission."

It is estimated that almost 5 lakh Indians face organ failure every year, and only 2-3 percent receive a life-saving transplant. Every year, hundreds of people die in India waiting for an organ transplant. Due to lack of awareness and misconceptions, there is a shortage of organ donors, and with each passing year, the gap between the number of organs donated and the people waiting for transplants is growing wider.