Doctors Save Man’s Life with Heart Transplant from Kolkata to Gurugram

On July 31, while Delhi and its surrounding areas were experiencing heavy rains, a team of doctors at Fortis Gurugram successfully transplanted the heart of a 54-year-old brain-dead woman from Kolkata into a 34-year-old man from Rohtak, Haryana. The man was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy.

The donor heart was retrieved from a government hospital in Kolkata, where the woman was declared brain-dead after a road accident. With approval from the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), doctors from Fortis Hospital Gurugram traveled to Kolkata to collect the heart. Kolkata Police created a green corridor for swift transportation to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. The heart was then flown to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and transported to Fortis Hospital, Gurugram, in just 13 minutes despite heavy traffic and rain.

The entire process, involving around 100 police officers, was completed in about 4 hours. The transplant was led by cardiothoracic vascular surgeon Dr. Udgeath Dhir. Post-transplant, the patient is stable and under observation in the cardiac ICU.

The 34-year-old recipient was in critical condition with only 10-15% of his heart functioning. Fortis Gurugram contacted the Haryana government for financial assistance and initiated a fundraiser. IndiGo Airlines assisted in transporting the heart.

Dr. Dhir emphasized the urgency of the transplant, stating that without it, the patient would have become inoperable. Yash Rawat, Facility Director at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, expressed gratitude to the donor’s family, NOTTO, IndiGo Airlines, and the police for their support. A spokesperson from IndiGo Airlines also highlighted the importance of their role in the mission.

In India, nearly 5 lakh people face organ failure annually, but only 2-3% receive transplants. The gap between organ donors and recipients continues to grow due to a lack of awareness and misconceptions.