Published Jul 29, 2026 | 11:07 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 29, 2026 | 11:07 AM
Ex-MLA Peddi Sudarshan Reddy.
The meticulously coordinated 150-kilometre green corridor created for the emergency transfer of former Narsampet MLA Peddi Sudarshan Reddy from Hanamkonda to Secunderabad on July 26 is among the longest documented green corridors for the transportation of a living, critically ill patient, according to medical experts.
Sudarshan Reddy (52) suffered a massive pulmonary embolism and was initially treated at a private hospital in Hanamkonda. Recognising the need for advanced care, doctors decided to shift him to a super-speciality hospital in Secunderabad. With time being the most critical factor, the Telangana Police swung into action, creating a seamless green corridor that enabled the ambulance to cover nearly 150 kilometres with minimal interruption.
The operation marked a significant departure from the conventional use of green corridors in Telangana, which have largely been associated with the transportation of donor organs within Hyderabad.
Until now, the state’s best-known green corridor missions involved organ transplantation. In May 2022, donor lungs were transported from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad to KIMS Hospital, Begumpet, covering about 37 kilometres in just 27 minutes. In January 2025, another landmark operation saw a donor heart moved from LB Nagar to Lakdikapul using a combination of road and Hyderabad Metro services, completing the 13-kilometre journey in approximately 13 minutes. Earlier, lungs were also transported between hospitals in Malakpet and Secunderabad through dedicated green corridors.
The transfer of a living patient over a distance of nearly 150 kilometres is a first for Telangana’s emergency medical response. Unlike organ transport, where every minute determines organ viability, patient transfers demand uninterrupted monitoring, advanced life support and continuous medical intervention throughout the journey.
Across South India, green corridors have primarily been utilised for organ transplantation.
Tamil Nadu has emerged as a national pioneer, creating inter-city corridors linking Chennai with Vellore, Salem, Coimbatore and Madurai, with several road journeys extending between 150 and 300 kilometres. Karnataka has coordinated numerous green corridors across Bengaluru and neighbouring districts, while Kerala has successfully connected major hospitals in Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram for time-sensitive organ movement.
However, documented long-distance green corridors for transporting critically ill patients remain relatively uncommon. Most emergency patient transfers rely on air ambulances or conventional road transport after initial stabilisation.
Healthcare professionals say such operations reflect the increasing synergy between hospitals, emergency medical services and the police. They also underline the need for standard operating procedures for long-distance patient corridors, particularly as trauma care, cardiac care and stroke management become increasingly dependent on rapid access to tertiary care centres.
Experts argue that India should now consider maintaining a national registry of green corridor operations covering both organ and patient transportation. Such a database would help identify best practices, improve emergency planning and strengthen policy for time-critical medical interventions.
(Edited by R Rajesh Kumar.)
