AI diverts plane for timely ferrying of harvested heart

In a humanitarian gesture, Air India today diverted a plane to make an unscheduled halt in Madurai to help rush the harvested heart of a 29-year-old brain dead man to a hospital in Chennai in time for transplant.
The Kochi-Chennai flight to Madurai was diverted after the Madurai-Chennai flight scheduled to carry the organ was delayed, airport authorities said.
The heart and some other organs of Damodaran, an accident victim, were medically harvested after doctors at Meenakshi Hospital and Research Centre in Madurai declared him brain dead today.
Immediately, upon arrival the organ was taken away in a waiting ambulance to private Frontier Lifeline hospital here for transplantation to a recipient.

The organ reached the hospital here in about 15 to 20 minutes from the airport with the support of traffic police officials.
According to Meenakshi Hospital and Research Centre doctors, Damodaran suffered injuries in a road accident in Dindigul district and was admitted there two days ago.

As his brain did not function, the doctors mooted the idea of organ donation with his family which gave its consent.
A team of more than 20 doctors led by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sampath Kumar harvested the organs -- both kidneys, liver, eyes and heart.
While his kidneys were transplanted to two patients at Meenakshi hospital itself, his heart and liver were sent to hospitals in Chennai. His eyes were donated to a local hospital.

Sampath Kumar said Damodaran had given a new lease of life to others.