On the night of January 18, 2025, Hyderabad Metro Rail showcased the power of public transportation in emergency medical care by creating a dedicated “green channel” to facilitate the swift and seamless transportation of a donor heart.
This crucial operation took place between Kamineni Hospitals in LB Nagar and Gleneagles Global Hospital in Lakdikapul, covering a distance of 13 kilometers in just 13 minutes—a remarkable achievement underscoring how public infrastructure can play a vital role in saving lives.
At 9:30 pm, a special metro service was put into operation, ensuring the heart was transported with utmost urgency. The train, which was dedicated solely to this mission, carried a team of medical professionals and the donor heart from the hospital. To guarantee a swift journey, regular metro traffic was halted, and an exclusive pathway was cleared for this time-sensitive operation. The train travelled through 13 stations with zero delays, ensuring the heart reached its destination on time.
A metro official explained, “We ensured an exclusive pathway for this mission by halting regular traffic and maintaining optimal speed. There were zero delays at any station.” This seamless coordination demonstrated how Metro Rail’s speed and efficiency can be leveraged in medical emergencies to save critical time.
Dr. Ajeya Joshi, the lead cardiothoracic surgeon who accompanied the heart, emphasized the importance of timing in organ transplants. “The donor was a 35-year-old individual, and every second mattered,” Dr. Joshi explained. “This seamless coordination helped us save precious time and ensured that we were able to carry out the procedure without any complications.”
Upon arrival at the Lakdikapul Metro station, the medical team quickly transferred the harvested heart to a waiting ambulance, which then completed the final leg of the journey to Gleneagles Global Hospital. Thanks to the speed and efficiency of this operation, the transplant surgery was successfully carried out shortly after the heart arrived at the hospital.
This heartwarming story highlights the essential role that public transport can play in emergencies. By adapting to the needs of the medical community, Hyderabad Metro Rail proved to be not just a transportation network but a vital partner in saving lives and improving the efficiency of emergency medical procedures. The coordinated efforts of the Metro Rail team and medical professionals demonstrate the power of collaboration when lives are at stake.
