Vande Bharat makes special halt to transport heart
Indian Railways arranged a special halt for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express at Ankleshwar railway station on Sunday, to facilitate the transportation of a 22-year-old road accident victim’s heart. The heart was later transported to U N Mehta Hospital in Ahmedabad via a green corridor.
The grand gesture of the Indian Railways comes after the family of the youth from Bharuch district turned their personal tragedy into a gift of life by donating his organs.
Atul Patel, a resident of Alwa village in Hansot taluka, worked as a helper at Shaktichem Chemical Company. He suffered severe head injuries on July 29 and was admitted to Smt Jayaben Mody Multispeciality Hospital in Ankleshwar, where doctors treated him under the guidance of neurosurgeon Dr Jaipalsinh Gohil.
A CT scan revealed severe brain haemorrhage and brain swelling. Despite intensive treatment, he was declared brain-dead on Aug 1.
With the assistance of Donate Life, Atul’s heart, liver, both kidneys, pancreas and eyes were retrieved and donated. The move is expected to give a new lease of life to six patients.
This marks the third heart donation from Bharuch district. Through the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO), the heart was transplanted into a 25-year-old patient at U N Mehta Hospital, while the liver, kidneys and pancreas were allocated to patients through the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC).