A multi-location medical care task to save the lives of four critical patients through crucial organ transplant surgeries was undertaken in Jhalawar, 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), a brain-dead patient. The family decided to donate Vishnu’s heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and eyes (corneas).

Advertisement

The heart, lungs, and a kidney were needed for two patients at SMS Hospital, Jaipur, while a lung and the 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 two teams of doctors flew from Jhalawar to Jaipur aboard the same helicopter and landed at the temporarily constructed helipad at the SMS Medical College ground.

The team of doctors from SMS Medical College deboarded here around 11.30 am with the harvested heart, lungs, and a kidney, while the AIIMS team continued onward to Jodhpur with a kidney and the 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.”

This was the first time a helicopter was used for the smooth and timely transportation of harvested organs.