Transplant organs spend less time in transit

"This time, there was a patient in Chengdu who needed a lung transplant, but the patient's blood type didn't match. So after a nationwide search, Wuxi People's Hospital was chosen, and we sent two doctors to fetch the organ."

Several steps are taken after a hospital is told that an organ is on the way, Chen added.

"First, we immediately tell the patient to be prepared. Second, we perform pre-surgery work, such as blood matching, and talk with a patient's family members.

"We also need to notify airlines about organ transfer plans and choose an appropriate flight. The airline then helps us get the organ through a green channel ready for transportation."

At 8:13 pm on July 21, the command center at Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport said it would accept the emergency landing. The center was also notified by the crew of Flight 3U8985 that the plane was carrying organs that needed to be transported for a transplant.

After the plane landed, two doctors carrying a live organ transportation box explained that the optimal preservation time for such organs is six hours. Three hours had already elapsed, and the doctors were hoping to receive assistance from the airport.

Li Ming, deputy manager of the Yangzhou airport, told China Media Group: "The situation was urgent. We immediately informed the airport ambulance crew. After the plane landed, an ambulance was already waiting, and the airport police cleared roads to ensure it could get to the highway as quickly as possible.

"The temperature inside the box carrying live organs has to be maintained at about 4C to 5C."

After learning about the situation, the airport activated its emergency rescue response mechanism and provided the ambulance, which transported medical personnel and the live organs over the Yangtze River, before heading directly to Wuxi People's Hospital.