In a landmark medical logistics operation, Bengaluru‘s Namma Metro was used for the first time to transport a human liver for transplant, cutting down travel time dramatically and proving the metro’s potential in urban emergency response.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), in coordination with medical professionals and security personnel, facilitated the organ’s journey from Vydehi Hospital in Whitefield to Sparsh Hospital in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. The operation began at 8:38 PM on Friday, when the liver was moved by ambulance to the Whitefield Metro Station.
Accompanied by a doctor and seven support staff, the organ was loaded onto a regular metro train at 8:42 PM, with all protocols overseen by an Assistant Security Officer. The train crossed the 32 km east-west corridor, reaching Rajarajeshwarinagar station by 9:48 PM. A waiting ambulance then rushed the organ to the transplant centre.
This metro journey, completed in just over an hour, avoided traffic congestion that would have typically delayed road transport by at least 90 minutes or more.
BMRCL emphasized that the process followed all standard emergency procedures laid out by the Joint Procedure Order (JPO) and MoHUA guidelines. Importantly, regular metro services continued with minimal disruption.
This is only the second time in India that a metro system has been used for organ transport—the first being Hyderabad Metro in 2021, which moved a heart 21 km in 30 minutes.
This historic move signals a new era in urban medical emergency response, demonstrating how mass transit can play a vital role in life-saving interventions.