Awareness and First Aid
An ER24 expert shares what it’s like to deliver life-saving organs for transplant patients.
Precious cargo
ER24 transports an average of three donated organs a month between hospitals and airports, says Heinrich Africa, Clinical Performance Operations Specialist at ER24. “I can honestly say there’s no greater privilege in emergency medical services,” he adds. “It’s a big responsibility because the cargo is so precious, but I’m honoured to play a small part.”
Each successful transport means a family is finally getting the call they’ve been hoping for. “A new liver means someone will see their children grow up. It means birthdays, graduations, and countless ordinary moments that would otherwise be lost.”
Precise co-ordination
Once the call comes through from the co-ordination team, Africa makes his way to the hospital or airport within minutes. He knows that somewhere across the country, a patient is being prepped for the surgery that could save their life. “The coordination is mind-blowing – from our logistics team to the receiving facilities, every link in this chain must work perfectly,” he says.
Why every minute counts
Carla Wilmans is the Transplant, Colorectal and Faculty Practice Manager at Mediclinic Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. This world-class facility has the largest transplant programme in South Africa and the only one in sub-Saharan Africa offering living donor liver transplants for children. “Once organs are recovered from donors, they only stay healthy for a short time,” Wilmans says. This is how long various organs stay usable for transplant:
- Lungs: 4-6 hours
- Liver: 8-12 hours
- Intestines: 8-16 hours
- Pancreas: 12-18 hours
- Kidney: 24-36 hours
How donated organs are protected in transit
“Before removal, organs are flushed with a cold, sterile preservation solution containing electrolytes and nutrients,” Wilmans explains. “The organ is then placed in a sterile container made of medical-grade plastic and packed in a cooler box surrounded by wet ice. This helps to protect the organ from damage during transport and keeps the temperatures low.”
“Obviously we don’t interfere with these precious packages en route,” Africa says. “Our job is to get them safely to their destination as quickly as possible. The race is officially on. I generally use a response vehicle for these calls so we can keep our ambulances available for other emergencies.” Organs are sometimes transported via commercial flights if that’s the quickest option.
Turning tragedy into hope
“What strikes me most about this work isn’t the logistics or the time pressure – it’s the gift of life,” Africa says. “We’re taking something tragic, the loss of one life, and turning it into hope for another family. We aren’t actively saving a life in the traditional sense of emergency medical services, but as ER24 organ transporters, our actions directly impact someone’s survival. Each transport reminds me of the incredible generosity of organ donors and their families. In their darkest hour, they’ve made the decision to give the gift of life.”