03 August,2015 06:00 AM IST | | Saurabh Vaktania
In a coordinated effort by the police and hospitals, a cadaver heart was transported from Mumbai airport to Mulund hospital, around 20 kms, in 18 minutes for the first heart transplant in the city
In a coordinated effort by the Mumbai police and hospitals, a cadaver heart was transported from Kalina airport to hospital in Mulund, around 20 kms, in 18 minutes flat for the first heart transplant in the city.
The heart, harvested from a Pune-based person, who was declared brain dead, was airlifted and brought to Fortis Hospital in Mulund to be implanted into a 22-year old man suffering from a heart ailment.
The ambulance transporting the cadaver heart reached Fortis hospital in Mulund from Kalina airport, a distance of around 20 kms, in just 18 minutes, thanks to systematic co-ordination between hospitals and Mumbai police.
A convoy of 12 vehicles from the city traffic police department accompanied the vehicle transporting the heart with officials blocking traffic en route.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Milind Bharambe said, "After we were informed that the heart should reach Fortis hospital in Mulund at the earliest, we wasted no time and immediately formulated a plan. Everyone was kept on high alert. A route was made to reach hospital in Mulund from airport at the earliest. All the traffic cops were on road and continuously monitored each moment on walkie talkie."
The donor heart was flown from Pune airport to Mumbai airport on board a private chartered plane.
"The entire convoy exited VVIP gate number 8 of Mumbai airport at 3.30 pm and reached Mulund Hospital via Eastern Express Highway at 3.48pm. We covered the whole distance in 18-19 minutes. The DCP, ACP and I were personally monitoring the whole covey. Six senior police inspector were traveling with the convey. The entire traffic at that particular time was stopped. Cops were at all signals and turning roads. We ensured that everything went ahead smoothly," added Bharambe.
The hospital officials said the operation that started at 4 pm.
The doctors operating on the patient are Dr Anvay Mulay, a cardiologist at Fortis Mulund and Dr K R Balakrishnana, a cardiothoracic, cardiovascular and transplant surgeon from Chennai's Fortis Malar.
The patient has been identified as Anwar Khan, who according to hospital sources is not a Mumbai resident.
