Shafaqna India: The Union Health Ministry has introduced its first-ever Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the efficient transport of human organs across various modes of travel. These guidelines will enable airlines carrying organs to request priority take-off and landing from Air Traffic Control and arrange front-row seats for medical personnel.
These SOPs aim to guide those involved in organ transplants nationwide, ensuring the maximum use of donated organs. Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra emphasized the goal of streamlining the organ transport process to maximize organ utilization and provide hope to patients awaiting transplants. The SOPs offer a comprehensive roadmap for organ retrieval and transplant institutions, ensuring adherence to best practices and quality standards.
In cases where live organs need to be transported between different hospitals, whether within the same city or between cities, the SOPs outline procedures for air transport. Airlines can request priority take-off and landing, front-row seating arrangements, priority reservation, and late check-in provisions for medical personnel.
The source airport will coordinate with the destination airport to facilitate the organ’s arrival. Flight captains may also announce the transport of human organs during the flight. Additionally, airport and airline staff can arrange trolleys for the organ box and assist in its transfer to and from the ambulance.
To ensure smooth ground transportation, the SOPs call for the establishment of a “green corridor”—an obstruction-free path—for the organ box at both the origin and destination airports. This corridor can also be created for ambulance transport upon request from specific authorities or agencies. The “One Trigger System,” a request from the organ allocation authority, may be used to initiate the creation of these green corridors, minimizing security concerns as the request would come from a credible source.
