They were given a container with a human heart inside and clear order to deliver it to a hospital in Wrocław as soon as possible. Pilots from Poznań police shared a video the mission of extreme urgency.
Poznań Police Air Service were tasked on Wednesday with delivering a human heart. Pick-up point: a hospital in Lubuskie province. Delivery target: University Clinical Hospital in Wrocław. A 60-year-old patient was waiting for a new life.
The airmen were ready to act. Weather was the only problem.
"For several hours we've been watching a thundery front moving over Poland. We considered that the weather could make the flight from Poznań impossible. In such case we would have used a police Black Hawk" - Robert Sitek from Polish Police Air Service said.
Luckily, the weather improved and the crew received a green-light for the flight.
"Planning such flight, in which a police helicopter carries a heart for transplant, requires special preparation: weather check, details regarding landing next to a hospital from which a doctor with heart for transplant will be picked-up, planning the route and taking care of safe landing at a hospital where the operation is to take place" - said Andrzej Borowiak from Greater Poland police.
"Organs can remain outside the organism for a very short time. For heart it is 4 hours, and 7 for lungs. As for kidneys or liver, the time also varies" - he explained.
The heart has little time. Doctors say the transplant alone takes around 4 hours. This leaves a maximum 2,5 hours for transport.
"The sooner the heart is delivered, the higher the chance of operation's success" - said Mateusz Rakowski, heart transplant coordinator from the Wrocław hospital.
Every operation of this kind, including transport of organs and the transplant surgery, is a team effort involving dozens of people.
Unusual situations demand unusual solutions also in the sky. The officers say that in order to everything to go fine, there can be no obstacles along the way. That's why up in the air, just like in road traffic, emergency corridors are also formed. "Keyword 'Guard' gives priority when carrying hearts. Information regarding our mission is sent out via radio. Thanks to it, anyone in the air traffic is bound to make way for us" - Robert Sitek said.
This time was no different. The heart was delivered safely and on time to the hospital in Wrocław.
Police airmen have already transported organs for transplant on many occasions. Some two weeks ago the same team helped to deliver a heart for transplant to another 60-year-old from Wrocław. On that occasion, the heart was delivered from West Pomeranian province.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, TVN24
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: policja.pl