Liver Transplant Made Possible With The Help Of Green Corridor From Puducherry To Madurai

A 51-year-old resident of Mumbai received a liver from a donor at Jipmer, Puducherry with the help of a green corridor. Maya Shah admitted in Apollo hospital in Madurai was earlier diagnosed with Chronic Liver Disease.A green corridor was created by the Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu police throughout 378 km highway transporting the organ through a traffic-free route from Jipmer till it reached Apollo Speciality Hospital, Madurai in record time. The organ was initially brought in a car from Jipmer to SRM Medical University that is 15km away from Tiruchi. From there it was transferred to an Apollo Hospital ambulance and was to Madurai.

The Tamil Nadu Government Cadaver Transplant Program alerted the Apollo Hospital on AUGUST 31 and a team from the hospital reached Jipmer close to midnight and checked whether the liver could be harvested from the female donor who was declared brain dead.

“The harvested organ left Jipmer at 6 a.m. on Tuesday (September 1) and was brought to the hospital here at 9.46 a.m. covering 378 km in less than four hours. Vehicles were stopped at the Chitampatti tollgate and once the ambulance reached Othakadai, it crossed 14 intersections where traffic was stopped inside the city and reached the hospital in less than 4 minutes,” said G. Mariappan, Inspector of Police who traveled in a police jeep with the ambulance.

On the highways loudspeakers and sirens were used to inform vehicles stay on side and stop to give way for the ambulance which was tailed by a police jeep. Dr. Ilankumaran, a liver transplant surgeon from Apollo who went to Jipmer to receive the organ and bring it to Madurai said that the timely intervention of the district police helped them make the journey back soon. “There was a massive accident near Kottampatti and traffic was held up all along the highway since villagers had blocked traffic. The police, however, immediately ensured that the ambulance was given way. They cleared the way in 10 minutes,” he said.

“Once a liver is harvested, the earlier it is transplanted, the better. The Tamil Nadu Government is doing a lot to ensure that timely organ transplantations occur and the state has a record number of transplantations performed, thanks to awareness and families coming forward to donate,” said Anand K. Khakhar, Program Director, Center for Liver Disease and transplantation.

Salem Police Commissioner A. Amalraj said “the police arranged to keep the toll gates open for the vehicle transporting the organ. On a request from hospital authorities, the DGP's office coordinated with the district police along the route of the ambulance and made sure that it moved without any interruption.”

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Source-Medindia