Air ambulance services take off

Blessings Chidakwa  and Joshua Muswere

The flight, which had two local doctors as part of the crew, took 20 minutes from Chegutu District Hospital to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, a journey that would require almost two hours by road considering the huge traffic volume along Harare-Bulawayo Road.

The 20-minute flight time is within the concept of the “Golden Hour”, which is paramount in emergency and trauma care referring to the critical first 60 minutes following a severe injury, where immediate medical intervention significantly increases the chances of survival.

President Mnangagwa and his Government are modernising the health sector as part of deliberate efforts to create a modern, prosperous and highly industrialised country by 2030.

In June, the President was in Russia where he scouted for investors to help set up the air ambulances.

The investor, Russian HeliDrive Air ambulances medical services, swiftly came to Zimbabwe and is assisting in the setting up of an efficient air ambulance service manned by highly skilled medical doctors, nurses, engineers, dispatchers and pilots.

The recruitment and training of local personnel in handling air medical services started with the company recruiting 40 local pilots, 50 doctors, 100 nurses, 100 dispatchers and 10 engineers.

Air ambulances are primarily used to transport patients from inadequate levels of care to higher levels of care, or to take them home if unable to travel via commercial flights.

Air ambulances are also sometimes necessary if a patient needs long-distance or emergency transport and is unable to use a commercial flight due to their medical condition.

These airborne ICUs are equipped with cutting-edge medical technology and manned by highly trained medical personnel, ready to manage a wide spectrum of medical emergencies en-route to care facilities.

This unique combination of speed, access, and comprehensive care capabilities positions air ambulances as a critical component of emergency medical services worldwide.

HeliDrive chief medical pilot Vadim Vagapov shared the experience.

“Today we received a call for medical operations. So we checked the weather, distance, and we decided to go. By our judgement we could fly, so we flew to Chegutu. When we landed there, there were a lot of crowds.

“The ambulance was already waiting for us there. Then they brought a patient. We just put the patient inside. We started the helicopter and left,” he said.

Mr Vagapov said the only difficulty was with controlling the crowd because too many people wanted to see the helicopter, and had to be kept away for safety.

“Then when the helicopter started, we just took off and we brought the patient here. We were doing it for the first time in Zimbabwe. This is our first mission with a patient on board,” he said.

Mr Vagapov said it was great to fly in Zimbabwe.

“I think it’s nice to fly in Zimbabwe and nice to help Zimbabwean people. This programme is giving access to helicopter air ambulance flights for every citizen in Zimbabwe for free because our programme is subsidised by the Government. So a patient can be flown in this helicopter without paying anything. That’s the greatest thing about our company. We don’t know about patient information, so this is classified,” he said.

Another official, Dmitrii Seniuta, who participated in the evacuation, said it was a thrilling experience.

“First medical evacuation in Zimbabwe. We took a patient from one hospital and then brought the patient to the Sally Mugabe Hospital,” he said.

“It was our mission because the patient was in critical condition. So they didn’t have, I think, they didn’t have a good mentor from doctors for all these conditions. So the patient, as the condition was so critical, should be rushed through to a central hospital.”

“We can carry patients in critical condition from the countryside to well-equipped hospitals. And we have a good experience in this way. We want to cover all the territory of Zimbabwe, and we will link remote regions with the centre of the country,” he said.

A Chegutu resident who witnessed the air ambulance services, Mr Trynos Chiminya, applauded the President for taking the country’s health system a gear up.

“I couldn’t believe it seeing a helicopter coming to collect an ordinary citizen. This is lauded, a Zimbabwe which everyone dreams of. President Mnangagwa is surely leaving no one and no place behind. We thought the services are paid for but were suprised to hear that its for free,” he said.

Another resident, Mrs Chido Makonese, said it was like waking from a slumber when the air medical services team arrived.

“We wanted to be closer but due to the fear of commotion we were chased away. We are grateful for such initiatives; lives will surely be saved especially on road accidents,” she said.

Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe latest statistics for January to May 2024 show that there were 21 183 road traffic accidents, which resulted in 4 350 people being injured and 860 deaths.

This translates to one accident every 10 minutes, with 29 injured people and almost six deaths every day.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said as Government the Ministry was happy that the air ambulance service has started.

“Everyone from every part of Zimbabwe will benefit from the project. Also I want to thank President Mngangagwa for making sure that everyone gets free medical services at his or her door steps.

“Hospitals and clinics are being built countrywide and now we have helicopters ferrying patients,” he said.

Zimbabwe last year took delivery of 18 brand-new helicopters from Russia, which are providing emergency air medical services and law enforcement.

Some have also been deployed to the tourism sector.

The helicopters are critical in Zimbabwe, considering the rising number of road traffic accidents.

Further, they are also set to boost the tourism sector, especially against the backdrop of assured health care for tourists through emergency air medical services that will be offered in resort areas like Mana Pools and Victoria Falls.