Surat: Amid heavy rain and a flood-like situation, multiple teams pulled off a challenging operation to transport a live human heart by train from Surat to Ahmedabad on a Vande Bharat Express, in what authorities and medical teams described as the first such rail transfer in India.The time-sensitive journey took about 217 minutes (3 hours 45 minutes), keeping the heart within the narrow window required for a successful transplant.The heart, along with two kidneys and a liver, was harvested at New Civil Hospital (NCH), Surat, from a 36-year-old textile worker from Odisha who was living in Kim in Surat district. Hospital officials said the multi-organ donation could give four patients a new lease of life and marked the 96th organ donation facilitated by NCH Surat.According to hospital officials, the man fell seriously ill on July 28 at his rented accommodation. His condition deteriorated rapidly, with his face turning to one side and his hands and legs becoming immobile. He was initially taken to a nearby hospital and later shifted to NCH Surat in a 108 ambulance for advanced treatment.On July 30, following examinations, a medical team comprising resident medical officer (RMO) Ketan Naik, plastic surgeon Nilesh Kachhdiya, neurologist Prayag Makwana and neurosurgeon Keyur Prajapati declared him brain-dead. Angdan Charitable Trust, volunteer Iqbal Kadiwala and counsellor Nirmala Kathude counselled the family on the importance of organ donation.The liver and both kidneys were transported by road to the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC) in Ahmedabad, while the heart was carried by train to UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre.Indian Railways, in a statement, said the operation was made possible through coordinated efforts involving the Railways, Gujarat State Police, Railway Protection Force (RPF) and medical teams.After the train arrived, the RPF and Gujarat Police created a green corridor to transport the heart from Platform No. 1 at Ahmedabad railway station to UN Mehta Institute quickly and without obstruction.Congratulating the Indian Railways, RPF, Gujarat Police and medical teams, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel posted on X, “Every second counts in organ transplantation! It was only because the live heart was transported from Surat to Ahmedabad in a matter of hours at the high speed of the Vande Bharat Express that this life-saving effort became possible.” He also congratulated the team of doctors for completing 77 successful heart transplant operations.“A harvested human heart has a much shorter survival time outside the body compared to the liver and kidneys. Normally, road transport is avoided for a heart transfer, and its successful transportation by train is an achievement for everyone involved in the effort,” said RMO Naik...
