mbulelo smpofu
Elliot Ziwira, Harare Bureau
TWENTY-NINE children and 158 adults, including two VIP patients, were successfully airlifted since August 2024, among them a 900g sevn months pre-term baby, who was transferred safely using on-board incubators and life support machines, thanks to the National Air Ambulance Service Zimbabwe operated by Helidrive Zim.
Pre-term neonates are usually born with a high risk of anaemia and infections like pneumonia because of underdeveloped lungs. So they have to be kept in an ideal enviroment in NICU ( Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). This provides for respiratory support and adequate warmth and protection from infections. This also increases their chances of survival as they can be quickly breastfed by their mothers and get enough intravenous fluids.
This comes as Concession, Mashonaland Central Province, leads in maternity cases requiring emergency assistance, accounting for 60 percent of cases.
The first beneficiary of the initiative was a cardiac arrest patient airlifted from Chegutu District Hospital, Mashonaland West Province, to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare on August 24.
Most of the patients were airlifted from rural provinces, particularly Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central, and flown to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, which the country’s major referral facilities are, as well as Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital, and Chegutu District Hospital.
With the Government footing the bill, the air ambulance service has been a lifesaver for many, especially in emergencies where timely medical attention is crucial.
Helidrive Zim medical director, Dr Freddy Mhondiwa, yesterday said the service boasts a 100 percent success rate with no fatalities during transportation.
He credited highly competent staff and well-equipped aircraft for the accomplishment.
He underlined that most of the patients who have been airlifted are neonates born with congenital defects requiring surgeries.
“The majority of children we have been airlifting are mostly neonates born with congenital defects and had to be sent to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital and Parirenyatwa hospitals for corrective surgeries,” said Dr Mhondiwa.
He noted that cases of assault involving artisanal miners, requiring emergency help in Concession and Chegutu accounted for 20 percent and 30 percent, respectively.
“There was a unique case of a 20-year-old man, who fell 50 metres down a mineshaft in Concession on November 26 and suffered serious head injuries. He was airlifted to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where he was resuscitated and attended to by neurosurgeons,” said Dr Mhondiwa.
Principally, the initiative hinges on the need to provide en route critical care, which has seen the service thriving, owing to expert healthcare personnel and top-notch on-board equipment. It dovetails with President Mnangagwa’s modernisation efforts aimed at transforming Zimbabwe into a prosperous nation by 2030. Helidrive is training local professionals to operate the service, which includes six air ambulances stationed in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and Victoria Falls to ensure nationwide coverage.
The ambulances will transport patients to advanced medical facilities, handling various emergencies on-board. Forty pilots, 40 doctors, 50 nurses, 10 dispatchers, and 10 engineers are among the critical personnel being trained. The firm has modern helicopters, some of which will be deployed to the tourism sub-sector. Also, Russian specialists work for the National Air Ambulance Service Zimbabwe.
With statistics from the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) indicating that 4 250 accidents occur on the country’s roads each month, claiming casualties between 25 and 45 years, the air ambulance service is, indeed, a timely initiative. Air ambulances are primarily used to transport patients from inadequate levels of care to higher levels of intervention, or to repatriate them home if unable to travel via commercial flights.
These specialised aircraft are designed to navigate geographical barriers and provide the same level of medical care available in an intensive care unit (ICU).
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.
