Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde came to the rescue of a woman patient in need of a kidney transplant by taking her on board his chartered plane from Jalgaon to Mumbai after she missed her flight from the North Maharashtra city to the state capital.

The incident occurred at the Jalgaon airport on Friday night, a release issued by Shinde's office here said on Saturday.

"Deputy CM Eknath Shinde was on a visit to Muktainagar (in Jalgaon district) on Friday for the Sant Muktabai Palkhi departure ceremony. While returning to Mumbai, his flight was slightly delayed at the Jalgaon airport. That brief delay turned out to be life-saving for a woman in urgent need of a kidney transplant," the release said.

The woman patient, identified as Sheetal Borde, reached the airport with the hope of going to Mumbai in time for her scheduled transplant surgery. But by the time she arrived, her commercial flight had already departed, and the gravity of the delay threatened her chances of undergoing the critical procedure, it added.

When Borde explained her situation to local activists at the airport, they immediately contacted state minister Girish Mahajan, who in turn requested Deputy CM Shinde for help, it said.

Without any hesitation, Shinde took both the woman and her husband on board his chartered flight to Mumbai. During the journey, he personally interacted with her, inquiring about her treatment, the release added.

After the flight landed in Mumbai, Shinde ensured a special ambulance was arranged immediately and personally oversaw her admission to the hospital, it said.

Jalgaon's Guardian Minister Gulabrao Patil, who belongs to the ruling Shiv Sena led by Shinde, later praised the deputy CM's gesture.

"Eknath Shinde has once again proven that he remains devoted to the common citizen. His intervention in this case has not only saved a life but reaffirmed the values of empathy and public service," he said.

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