Rapid Lung Transport: The 33-Minute Journey from Guangzhou to Shenzhen Explained

A very quick trip

On July 14, a well-organized air transport mission was completed between Guangzhou and Shenzhen, according to Shenzhen News Network. The flight departed from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou at 9:37 a.m. and landed at Shenzhen People's Hospital at 10:10 a.m., completing the journey in just 33 minutes. This marked the first time that lungs were transported by helicopter in Shenzhen.

Old Yang, a 73-year-old patient, had been dealing with severe pulmonary fibrosis for many years, which significantly affected his quality of life. Luckily, he received a lung donation from Guangzhou that was a perfect match. In order to minimize the cold ischemia time of the donor's lung, Shenzhen People's Hospital made the decision to use a helicopter for transportation.

Old Yang was prepped and anesthetized for surgery at 8:50 a.m. on July 14, awaiting the arrival of the donor lung. When the helicopter landed at Shenzhen People's Hospital, the hospital opened all green channels, including elevators and access controls, to swiftly transport the lung to the operating room. The multidisciplinary medical team, including thoracic surgeons, was ready, and the transplant surgery was completed by 4:15 p.m.

On the same day, a 64-year-old patient with advanced pulmonary fibrosis also received a lung transplant at Shenzhen People's Hospital. The donated lung for this patient came from Shenzhen. The two lung transplants were performed almost simultaneously, with only a five-minute difference in completion times.

Many internet users have inquired about the cost of the surgery, whether it was funded privately or covered by public funds, if the smooth process was a standard procedure or a unique arrangement, and information about the condition of the lung donor.

Some internet users specifically inquired about the lung's origin, the organization of the helicopter transport, and the identity of the 73-year-old recipient.

Concerns About Organ Transplantation from a 24-Year-Old Brain-Dead Graduate Student

There have been recent speculations among netizens about a 24-year-old graduate student named Long Xingyu from Wuhan, who was declared brain-dead. Reports from the official Chinese Communist Party newspaper, People's Daily, and other news sources suggested that his organs, including the heart, liver, kidneys, and corneas, were donated to save four lives after his brain death.

In March 2023, Sohu News reported that Long Xingyu sustained a severe knee sprain. He chose to leave the hospital to save money, which eventually led to his deteriorating condition and brain death, according to reports.

The controversy escalated when a video emerged, showing the aggressive treatment of the deceased's family by Li Zhanfei, the head of trauma surgery at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan.

This top hospital, under the authority of the National Health Commission of the Chinese Communist Party, was accused of illegally declaring patients as brain-dead in order to harvest their organs.

Official Response: Both Patients Are Ordinary Retired Workers

China News Weekly reported on July 23 that Shenzhen People's Hospital recently transported donated organs by air and successfully performed two lung transplant surgeries. The patients, aged 73 and 64, were both retired workers.

Mr. Yang, 73, is a retired boiler electrician from a paper mill in Heilongjiang, where he was exposed to a dusty work environment. Mr. Yin, 64, worked as a driver at a rubber and plastic machinery company. Both individuals received organs through China's computer-based human organ allocation system, in accordance with national policies regarding scientific organ distribution.

Public Skepticism Continues

Comments from netizens included:

"It's suspicious that my mother, who had surgery at the same hospital, saw flowers being delivered daily. I don't believe they were ordinary people."

"They spoke at length without mentioning the origins or ages of the organs."

"Their vague responses only make things seem darker."

"They avoided the main issue, offering no useful information and talking in circles."

These ongoing questions and suspicions highlight the need for increased transparency in China's organ transplantation process.