Night green corridor helps transport heart over 8 km in 6 minutes

New Delhi: A donor's heart was successfully transported from Vasant Kunj to Saket on Tuesday covering a distance of 8.1 kms in only 6 minutes, owing to a night green corridor -- a special travel route without red lights to ensure transportation in minimal time.

The organ was being transported from Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital in Vasant Kunj to Max Hospital in Saket, saving the life of a 20-year-old male from Bhiwani, in Haryana.

The donor, 41-year-old patient of Nepali origin, was brought into the emergency ward of Fortis Flt Lt Rajan Dhall Hospital, after a road accident late on November 20.

Despite the best efforts of the doctors, the patient could not be revived and was declared brain dead on Tuesday.

"We thank the donor's family for recognising the importance of organ donation and are deeply appreciative of them to have agreed for this magnanimous and noble act even in their hour of grief and irreparable loss," said Abrar Ali Dalal, Facility Director at Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital, in a statement.

While the heart was sent to Max Super Speciality Hospital, one kidney was sent to Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, to be transplanted in a 52-year-old female recipient while the second remains with Fortis Flt Lt Rajan Dhall Hospital to be transplanted into a 46-year-old female. The corneas were sent to Venu Eye Center.

"It is extremely motivating to see a gradual shift in public perception on the issue of organ donation in our country. As per available statistics, in 2015, there were 570 donations following brain death cases in the country, resulting in transplantation of a total of 1,675 organs including 1,007 kidneys, 510 livers, 110 hearts, 37 lungs, four pancreas and two small intestines," explained Avnish Seth, Director, Fortis Organ Retrieval and Transplant (FORT).

"I had heard about organ donation but never imagined that it would become a reality for me one day. No words can express my loss but am proud of the fact that my husband has been able to grant life to others even as he is no more. I pray for the well-being of the recipient"," said Geeta Thapa, the wife of the donor.