Relay for Life: SW China's Twin Cities Escorting A 'Life-saving Heart'

Chongqing - In a dramatic race against time, a "life-saving heart" was successfully transferred between cities from Chongqing to Chengdu on the evening of October 19, showing the extraordinary speed Chinese medical and transportation professionals took to ensure successful heart transplantation.

The railroad personnel escort Dr. Wang and his team to transfer the life-saving heart. (Photo/ China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd.)

A heart transplant is an operation in which a failing heart is replaced with a healthier donor heart. When a donor organ becomes available, candidates are selected based on the severity of their condition, body size, and blood type.

The heart, donated by an organ volunteer from Chongqing, was prepared for transfer by Dr. Wang and his team from the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. An expedited linkage was initiated between Sichuan and Chongqing to minimize myocardial wasting and ensure the utmost protection of myocardial cells.

At the Chongqing North Railway Station, railroad personnel prioritized the mission by opening a dedicated "life channel." Dr. Wang and his team boarded the Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway by 21:08.

"To facilitate a swift transfer from the train to the ambulance, we repositioned Dr. Wang and his team to the compartment closest to the south exit of Chengdu East Railway Station," said Wang Yuhua, conductor of the fifth train crew of the Chengdu Railway Bureau's Chongqing Passenger Section.

By 22:24, the high-speed train arrived seamlessly at Chengdu East Railway Station. With the predetermined transfer route, the team moved from the exit straight to their vehicle bound for the hospital, a process that astonishingly took just three minutes.

Upon arrival at the hospital, medical professionals wasted no time. The heart transplant surgery commenced immediately and concluded successfully by approximately 5:00 on October 20. The patient is now in post-operative care and undergoing rehabilitation at the hospital.

It's worth noting the vital role played by the Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway, which has been operational since 2015. This 308-kilometer railway, with an operation speed of 300 kilometers per hour, has drastically reduced travel time between the two cities to just 1.5 hours.

Additionally, the recent direct connection established on October 11 between Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport has further facilitated seamless travel, cementing the connectivity within the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.