Air ambulances airlift 19 patients so far 

Emmanuel Kafe

NINETEEN patients have been airlifted in less than a month since the inception of the air ambulance service introduced by the Government and operated by Russian company HeliDrive.

Those who have benefited to date include victims of road traffic accidents, and those in hospital transfers and other health emergencies.

The service is free to the beneficiaries, with the Government footing the bill.

The first to benefit was a patient from Chegutu, who had suffered cardiac arrest.

Overall, most patients have been airlifted from rural areas, such as Glendale, Bindura, Chinhoyi, Chegutu and Concession, and flown to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals or Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, the country’s major referral hospitals.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Sleiman Kwidini said the air ambulance service has proved to be a game-changer in the country’s  health sector, bridging the gap in emergency medical services.

The expertise of health personnel operating the air ambulances and the state-of-the-art equipment in the aircraft, he said, have ensured seamless operations, with patients receiving critical care during transportation.

“As the service continues to expand, Zimbabweans can expect improved access to emergency medical care, regardless of their location.

“From our assessment, everything is going on well.

“The Second Republic has seen it fit to have this facility, which is critical in saving lives,” said Deputy Minister Kwidini.

“Going forward, this facility is going to save more lives in a way that has never been seen before. People use ambulances not because they want to, but because of the nature of the diseases and emergencies . . .”

HeliDrive chief medical pilot Mr Vadim Vagapov commended the Government for spearheading the initiative.

“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,” he said.

President Mnangagwa has been modernising the health sector as part of a strategic initiative to transform Zimbabwe into an empowered, prosperous, highly industrialised nation by 2030.

HeliDrive — which supplied Zimbabwe with 18 state-of-the-art helicopters, six of which will be used as air ambulances — is presently training 40 pilots, 40 doctors, 100 nurses and 10 engineers, among other critical personnel that will be critical for operationalising the national air ambulance service.

The aircraft will be stationed in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and Victoria Falls to provide nationwide coverage.

Air ambulances are crucial for transporting patients from facilities with inadequate care to those offering advanced medical services.

With cutting-edge medical technology and highly trained personnel, air ambulances can manage a wide range of medical emergencies en route to care facilities.

The six medical ambulances are part of the 18 brand-new helicopters purchased from Russia, which are envisaged to play a vital role in emergency air medical services and law enforcement.

Some helicopters have also been deployed to the tourism sector.