KLUANG: The Fire and Rescue Department has mounted a mercy flight to transport a kidney from here to Kuala Lumpur for an organ transplant procedure.
Its Johor deputy operations and rescue director Muhammad Tarmizi Md Jaafar said the organ was transported from Hospital Enche’ Hajjah Khalsom here to Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) on Monday (March 23).
"The mission was deployed following a request from the National Transplant Centre in HKL, which received an organ donation from the Kluang hospital.
"The family of a patient, who was confirmed brain dead, had agreed for their organ to be donated to help others in need," he said in a statement.
He added that a department helicopter took off with the organ from SMK Jalan Kota Tinggi at around noon, bound for UniKL Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology (MIAT) in Subang, Selangor.
He said the asset deployed was a Mi-17 helicopter with nine personnel led by senior official Mohd Faizal Abd Latiff, as well as three medical personnel.
"The flight was categorised as a medical evacuation, which required quick action and close coordination across relevant agencies to ensure the donated organ remains in optimum condition for the intended recipient.
"Such missions are critical as donated organs must be delivered in the shortest time possible," Tarmizi added.
