Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE is leading the way to becoming the first African country to have a public air rescue service covering the entire country following the establishment of Helidrive National Air Rescue Service that was officially launched in August last year.
The air ambulance service was set up through a friendship between the Russian Republic and the Republic of Zimbabwe where President Vladimir Putin and President Mnangagwa saw it fit to have a well-developed system of air evacuation, given the challenges the country faced in terms of air rescue transportation services.
Speaking in an interview at the Ministry of Health and Child Care stand at the just-ended 65th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, one of the doctors, Dr Rudo Gumbo said the company was brought into existence to try and validate some of the medical transportation challenges the country faced. The service started operating in Harare in July 2024 under the Ministry of Health and Child Care while the second base in Bulawayo started functioning in December of the same year.
Since July 2024, the company has evacuated 450 patients, 150 of whom were neonates (less than 28 days old).
60 patients evacuated so far were from the Matabeleland region, said Dr Gumbo.
“Next month, we are hoping that our Victoria Falls branch will start operating. We have identified bases throughout the country, which are future bases and these are Masvingo, Mutare, Kariba and Buffalo Range,” said Dr Gumbo.
“These bases are determined by the range, which our helicopters cover, that is 180km one way. This is probably the first national air rescue service, which is not privatised on the continent, thanks to the visionary leadership of the Second Republic as led by President Mnangagwa,” she added.
Dr Gumbo said in identifying bases, they took into account the availability of refuelling services and hopes were high that by the end of the year, the services should cover the whole country.
She said plans were underway to establish a national call centre to make it easy for those seeking services.
“The national call centre will establish through questioning whether or not a patient needs an air rescue service,” said Dr Gumbo.
She said the beauty about the Helidrive Air Rescue Service is that it has a critical care service unit on board so the patient starts receiving health care on board.
A Russian doctor, who is part of the crew, Dr Dmitry Senuita, said the experience to date has been excellent and also expressed gratitude that they have been able to save lives.
“The experience has been great so far, we have a lovely team of medical personnel we are working with, yes, medical systems between the two countries are different but it’s not something to worry about, we are coping well,” he said.
Dr Senuita said there were six doctors in Bulawayo and the same number in Harare as well as nurses.
Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga visited the ministry’s stand on Thursday during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo and was taken through the air rescue services’ operations.
The Second Republic under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa is modernising the health sector as part of deliberate efforts to create a modern, prosperous, and highly industrialised country by 2030.
In June last year, the President was in Russia where he scouted for investors to help set up the air ambulances rescue service.
Russian Helidrive Air Ambulance swiftly responded, bringing in expertise to set up a highly efficient emergency medical service.
The air ambulance service boasts a fleet of over 100 medical helicopters, which have been saving lives across Russia for the past nine years.
Local capacity building has been a key component of the initiative and as such Helidrive Zimbabwe has recruited and trained 40 local pilots, 50 doctors, 100 nurses, 100 dispatchers and 10 engineers to operate and manage the new service.
Air ambulances play a vital role in transporting patients requiring higher levels of medical care or those unable to travel by road due to their condition.
The helicopters are specifically designed to navigate geographical barriers while offering intensive care comparable to that available in hospital settings.
Equipped with cutting-edge medical technology and staffed by highly trained personnel, air ambulances are an essential component of emergency medical response systems worldwide.
