Hyderabad: In what could be a world record for neonatal care, doctors at KIMS Cuddles Hospital, Secunderabad, have saved the life of a premature baby after an unprecedented 1,300-kilometre road transfer from Surat, Gujarat.
The infant, born in the seventh month of pregnancy to a Telugu family in Surat, weighed just 1.1 kg at birth and was battling severe sepsis, respiratory distress, and multi-organ failure. When his condition worsened despite treatment at a local private hospital, his parents turned to KIMS Cuddles in Hyderabad.
An air ambulance was initially considered, but financial constraints forced the family to opt for road transfer. Under the leadership of Dr. Babu S. Madarkar, Clinical Director & Chief Neonatologist, a 31-member medical and support team took on the daunting task. "Transporting such a critically ill premature baby on ventilator support across 1,300 km was a herculean challenge," Dr. Madarkar said.
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The journey lasted nearly 16 hours, with two ambulances in operation -- one for the baby and another for oxygen support. Supplies were replenished en route, including at Nashik, to ensure uninterrupted care. The newborn suffered repeated episodes of breathing difficulty and irregular heart rate during the transfer, but doctors, nurses, and paramedics managed to stabilize him each time.
After arrival in Hyderabad, the baby underwent two months of intensive treatment for multiple organ complications. Today, he weighs 1.9 kg, is breathing without ventilator support, feeding on his mother's milk, and has been declared active and healthy by doctors.
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Globally, the longest known neonatal road transfer was 723 km, while India's previous record stood at 513 km. Experts say this 1,300 km journey sets a new benchmark and could find its way into the Guinness World Records.
The mission was jointly executed by KIMS Cuddles and Red Health Ambulance Services, with additional help from KIMS hospitals along the route. Key members of the team included Dr. Satish, Dr. Ryan, Dr. Santosh, Chinna Brother, Sanal Brother, and ambulance pilots Anand and Mohan.
The baby's father expressed heartfelt gratitude to the doctors and hospital management. "They protected my child like the apple of their eye and gave him back to us safely. No words can capture our gratitude," he said, thanking Dr. Babu S. Madarkar, KIMS Foundation CMD Dr. B. Bhaskar Rao, Medical Services Director Dr. Sambit Sahu, and CEO Dr. Abhinay Bollineni for their support.