Dr. Suresh Rao , Co-Director, Institute of Heart & Lung Transplant, Dr. Senathi Nanda Kishore , Clinical Director, Senior Consultant & Clinical Lead, Anaesthesiology and Surgical ICU, Dr. K. R. Balakrishnan, Director of Heart & Lung Transplantation, ACP P.K Ravi, Dr. Rajesh, Managing trustee, ALERT Foundation and Mr. M.K. Mohan, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Anna Nagar Constituency.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
MGM Healthcare on Sunday launched a mobile ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) ambulance aimed at providing specialised heart and lung life-support to patients in severe cardiac or respiratory failure at the point of care, reducing delays in the initiation of time-critical treatment.
The unit was inaugurated by ACP P.K. Ravi; M.K. Mohan, Member of the Legislative Assembly (Anna Nagar constituency); and Rajesh R. Trivedi, managing trustee, ALERT Foundation, in the presence of K.R. Balakrishnan, director, Heart and Lung Transplantation; Suresh Rao, co-director, Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant; and Senathi Nanda Kishore, clinical director and senior consultant, Anaesthesiology and Surgical ICU, MGM Healthcare.
The mobile unit is equipped with advanced ECMO systems and staffed by trained critical care physicians, perfusionists, and nurses, enabling rapid on-site stabilisation and safe transfer of critically ill patients. The service allows life-support to be initiated even before hospital arrival, addressing a key gap in emergency care.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Kishore said timely access to ECMO can significantly influence outcomes in cardiopulmonary emergencies, where delays often lead to irreversible organ damage. Dr. Balakrishnan said ECMO is frequently the last option when all other resuscitative measures fail, while Dr. Suresh Rao noted that early intervention at the patient’s location could substantially improve survival.
Published – December 07, 2025 10:41 pm IST
