Sub-Saharan Africa
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Zimbabwe Air Ambulance Reportedly Saves 67 Lives Since Launch in August With Russian Experts Help

© Photo X / @tnrzimbabweZimbabwe Air Ambulance Service, offering free emergency transport to pregnant women to Parirenyatwa Hospital.
Zimbabwe Air Ambulance Service, offering free emergency transport to pregnant women to Parirenyatwa Hospital.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 07.10.2024
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In May 2023, Zimbabwe received a fleet of 18 Russian-made Ansat and Mi-17 helicopters. The vehicles are used for policing, wildlife protection, and disaster management.
Since its launch in August 2024, the government's new air ambulance service, operated by Russian company HeliDrive, has saved the lives of 67 patients, including 21 children under the age of 17. The government-funded service provided critical emergency medical transport, ensuring that patients receive timely care in cases where rapid intervention is essential, which is especially important in rural areas where medical facilities can be limited, local media reported.
HeliDrive is training local professionals to operate the service, strengthening Zimbabwe's healthcare infrastructure and ensuring long-term sustainability. Currently, 40 pilots, 40 doctors, 50 nurses, 10 dispatchers, and 10 engineers are being trained.
Pilots and members of aeromedical team gather near the MBB/Kawasaki BK117 C-2 ambulance helicopter of the Moscow aviation center before taking off at the Yudin clinical hospital in Moscow, Russia, on June 23, 2020. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 02.08.2024
Sub-Saharan Africa
Zimbabwe Aims to Establish Regional Medical Air Ambulance Hub in Southern Africa with Russia's Help
The service is equipped with six Russian-provided air ambulances strategically located throughout the country to ensure rapid response. The initiative is part of the government's drive to modernize the healthcare system and aims to reduce the number of traffic fatalities and provide swift access to critical care.
HeliDrive ZIM medical director Dr. Freddy Mhondiwa highlighted the importance of the service for newborns with congenital problems, as 16 infants ranging in age from newly-born to five years old were airlifted for urgent medical attention.
"Most of the children we have been airlifting are neonates born with congenital defects who needed corrective surgeries at Sally Mugabe Central and Parirenyatwa Hospitals," said Dr. Mhondiwa.
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