Tackling traffic to save lives: How Bengaluru rethinks organ transport

Bengaluru: On September 11, Bengaluru witnessed a historic first when a live human heart was transported via the city’s metro system. 

The heart spent 20 minutes on the Green Line, travelling from Sparsh Hospital in Yeshwantpur to its recipient at Apollo Hospital, Sampige Road. This landmark event highlights the urgent need to rethink organ transport options in a city notorious for its traffic congestion, where 50-60 heart and lung transplants are taking place
yearly. 

These organs have viable ischemic times of just 4 and 6 hours, and must be delivered without delay. 

The heart on the metro

Since mid-2023, changes to national metro rules and a Standard Operating Procedure from the Health Ministry have allowed - and required - Namma Metro to support human organ transport. 

One further organ transfer has been conducted. On August 1, a liver was carried 31 km between Whitefield and RR Nagar in 55 minutes. 

Namma Metro’s Chief Public Relations Officer B L Yashavanth Chavan says the two transfers have gone smoothly. 

He says Namma Metro has strict protocols to ensure a smooth, standardised operation. 

Metro staff must prioritise the transfer, provide a security escort throughout, and define a secure path between the ambulance and the station. 

The organs must be in an appropriate, labelled box, and handled only by hospital authorised staff. 

The only cost is the basic metro fares for the medical staff accompanying the organ. 

Using the metro saves “at least 50%” of the journey time, says Chavan. 

At this point, there have been no further requests, he says, but Namma Metro would be “elated” to play a role in saving further lives. 

Green corridor: The norm

Another mode of transport which cuts travel times is the green corridor. 

Traffic police inspector Anil Kumar says the team involved in creating green corridors operates like a well-oiled machine - 56 have been created in Bengaluru so far this year. 

The process is supported by ASTraM, a system that provides historical, predictive and real-time traffic data, along with the live locations
of all ambulances in the city. 

During a green corridor, all vehicles are halted so the main carriageway stays clear. The ambulance receives only green signals and “does not stop for even a second”. 

The average speed travelled on a green corridor is 59 km an hour, much faster than Bengaluru’s reported 2024 average speed of 17.6 km/h.  One 42-kilometer trip was completed in 25 minutes,
at an average speed of 100.7 km/h. 

Green corridors can cause bottlenecks in traffic, says Kumar, but the traffic police try to minimise the inconvenience. 

“Any potential issues are perceived and resolved in advance,” he says. “It’s a humanitarian act, and we’re proud of it.” 

Aero transport

A potential solution that soars above the city’s congested streets is the use of helicopter ambulances. 

Helicopter ambulances often move organs between cities, but a lack of helipads prevents intracity transfers, says Govind Nair, co-founder of Helitaxi, which has provided intercity organ airlifts since 2017. 

There are a variety of hurdles involved in getting helipads approved, Nair says, which have led to some hospitals having unapproved and unusable helipads. 

 While currently, there are around four permanent helipads in Bengaluru and a further three or four temporary ones, Nair says that an ideal number would be closer to 30. 

Victoria Hospital, located centrally, is currently building a helipad which will make organ airlift a more viable option throughout the city. This is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. 

But even with appropriate infrastructure, organ airlift will remain inaccessible to many due to the expense involved. A flight costs approximately Rs 3,300 per minute, says Nair. 

A less expensive option is currently being co-developed by another air ambulance company. 

Are drones the future?

ICATT Air Ambulance has completed over 50 intercity organ airlifts using both helicopter and aeroplane, says founder and director Shalini Nalwad. 

However ICATT are betting on another mode of transport being the future of intracity organ transfer; they are collaborating with aerial mobility company Ubifly to develop drone-based delivery. 

The technology is already “fully operational” and they have received the necessary civil aviation permissions, says Shalini. 

She explains they have already completed a 3-kg test flight, and the complete pilot project of mock organ airlifts will be completed within six months. 

The technology is AI-driven, says Shalini, and has integrated both clinical and aviation expertise to ensure maximum safety. 

At a cost of Rs 4,000-5,000 per flight, the proposed service will be affordable in comparison with helicopter transport. 

The doctor’s view

Dr Devananda N S, cardiothoracic vascular and lung transplant surgeon, has seen organs arrive at his hospital via all current transport modes, each with pros and cons. 

Green corridors are effective, Dr Devananda says, especially after hours, but have their shortcomings. “It’s hard on both the police and the public.” 

“The advantage of metro use is great,” he adds. 

But for him, drones are the answer going forwards - “It would simplify many things.” 

“The important thing is that if people are willing to donate, the organ must not be wasted. Whatever has to be done to get it to a recipient must be done,” says Dr Devananda.