Medics Drop Donor Heart (VIDEO)

Mexican paramedics found themselves as the targets of intense criticism after video surfaced of them dropping a donor heart as they rushed to a hospital to deliver the precious organ for a transplant.

The heart was being transported by private jet and helicopter to reach the intended recipient in Mexico City, according to The Guardian. As the medics departed the helicopter and were transporting the organ in a wheeled container, one of the two medics tripped, and the heart, wrapped in a polyethylene bag, rolled out of the container and onto the street.

The medic quickly recovered the heart and the group continued rushing into the hospital. Mexico's Department of Health confirmed that the heart did indeed reach the hospital, and AP reported the transplant operation was successful.


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Comments

[Joel Landau]

03:22 PM on 01/18/2012

5 second rule!

[JenniferWest]

04:50 PM on 01/17/2012

yellow+blue makes green. They should have used a ziploc bag!

[Rafael Perez]

12:30 AM on 01/16/2012

lol wut?

[Tracy Fortune]

11:06 PM on 01/15/2012

Ok...tripped and dropped it...picked it up, cleaned it off, all's well. What is the issue? That the guys are human & tripped? If I were the one waiting for that heart, I'd be like, "hey, no worries, just wash it off, mate"...and that's exactly what they did...

Though, whoever gets this heart will have a great story to tell the grandy's someday? "This is one tough heart! Bounced off of the tarmac & straight into my chest!"...lol...can hear it now.

[cub4202]

10:10 PM on 01/15/2012

where was the tupperware?

[ogbjones4real]

03:15 AM on 01/15/2012

"Another Hardened Heart"

[WaPoFan]

01:54 AM on 01/15/2012

You cannot tell me this is the first time such a thing has ever happened, even here in the USA.

[fliingv]

01:01 AM on 01/15/2012

this is one of the corolaries to the rules of medicine: If you drop the baby, pick it up...

[scificarolinaguy]

09:36 PM on 01/14/2012

Probably going to a rich Mexican drug lord. Who else in Mexico could afford chartered jet and helicopter service to stay alive another year? Your illegal drug money at work.

[Fran Jaime]

02:47 PM on 01/15/2012

No, not at all. This heart was headed to the La raza Hospital complex which belongs to the IMSS (Mexican Institute of Social Security). The person who received the heart paid nothing other than the monthly quota (probably around 250 pesos or less) that he/she pays into the system. Not one cent more. There are many transplants done in the IMSS hospitals every year: kidney, lung, heart, liver, etc.under these same rules. The doctor gets his normal paycheck and that's it. No millions. And yes, I know this to be true. I live in Mexico and have been operated in the IMSS hospitals. I also have a family member who received a kidney transplant there.

[reapz13]

07:31 PM on 01/15/2012

Most US citizens don't realize that even supposed 3rd world countries have better medical care then we do. Going bankrupt whenever you have a major health problem is excusive to the US. :(

[SMBrown2]

07:26 PM on 01/14/2012

Is there a reason it takes two people to pull a cooler?

[nanaofmysky]

06:23 PM on 01/14/2012

Think they would put some sort if lock on it so it will not open so easily.Glad the transplant went okay.

[SteveDenver]

07:50 PM on 01/15/2012

I used to work for a messenger service that transported corneas for transplant. The containers were taped, then boxed, then taped again.

[nanaofmysky]

08:01 PM on 01/15/2012

Well that makes sense! But the one guy just kicked the cooler and it flew open. There was no tape or anything on it. Steve that was a very responsible job. Good going.

[JimSales]

06:03 PM on 01/14/2012

I can't believe I wasted 90 seconds of my life in this tripe.

[OC4Obama4Pres]

04:02 PM on 01/15/2012

I can't believe you wasted another 30 seconds or so thinking then typing about it.

[reciprocat]

04:51 PM on 01/14/2012

"ya know....it's a funny thing about your new heart sir...."

[viper1ex19]

08:50 PM on 01/14/2012

Yeah, it works really well for a soccer ball.
We gave it a KICK start for ya,,,

[berg1928]

04:37 PM on 01/14/2012

If the heart wasn't contaminated, no harm was done.

[rmeway]

04:10 PM on 01/14/2012

I can't expect a whole lot of things for the better in/from Mexico. Look at the ones that jumped the border and are in the US. Most are not worth much and are not desirable.

[P8riotic]

10:36 AM on 01/15/2012

Not worth much?

[Jeff Lassiter]

11:51 PM on 01/16/2012

One of the most racist things I have read here all day. Congrats.