A multi-location medical care task to elevate the lives of eight patients through crucial organ transplant surgeries undertaken in Jhalawar, Kota, Jaipur, and Jodhpur on Sunday.
The operation began early on Sunday morning as a team of specialist doctors flew to Jhalawar in a special helicopter arranged by the Rajasthan government to retrieve organs donated by the family of Vishnu (33), is a brain-dead patient. The family decided to donate Vishnu’s heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and eyes (corneas).
The heart, lungs, and a kidney were needed for two patients at SMS Hospital, Jaipur, while a kidney and a liver were provided to AIIMS, Jodhpur, for transplant in two patients there. A team of doctors from AIIMS, Jodhpur, had also arrived in Jhalawar to receive the organs for their patients. The eyes (Cornea) were sent separately to Kota for transplant in needy ones there
The two teams of doctors from Jaipur and Jodhpur flew from Jhalawar to Jaipur aboard the same helicopter and landed at the temporarily constructed helipad at the SMS Medical College ground here.
The team of doctors from SMS Medical College deboarded here around 1200 hrs with the harvested heart, lungs, and kidney, while the AIIMS team continued onward to Jodhpur with a kidney and a liver.
A green corridor was created with the help of traffic police and the district administration to ensure unhindered, safe, and swift transportation of the organs from the temporary helipad to SMS Hospital for urgent surgeries. All standard medical procedural protocols were followed during the movement of the organs.
SMS Medical College Principal and Controller of attached hospitals Dr Deepak Maheshwari said, “The organs received are being implanted in two patients in Jaipur.”
Dr Maheshwari said, “This is the first time that a multi-organ transplant involving the heart and lungs is being performed on one patient at this hospital.
Dr Manish Agrawal, the Nodal Officer for Organ Donation and Transplant, said, “The surgeries, involving 25 doctors, may last 6 to 8 hours or more.”
This was the first time a helicopter was used as an “Air Ambulance” for the speedy smooth and timely transportation of harvested organs, in Rajasthan.