Online Reporter
Zimpapers Reporter
ZIMBABWE’s national air ambulance service, HeliDrive, has responded to 1 462 emergency cases since August 2024, with its newly operational Victoria Falls base now positioned to deliver world-class aeromedical support to tourists, athletes, officials and local communities across the resort town and surrounding areas.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi recently emphasised that air ambulances are a critical “pull factor”, as they can attract high-profile visitors and wealthy niche markets to Victoria Falls.
It is believed guaranteeing rapid, top-tier emergency medical response is attractive to tourists, particularly luxury travellers. According to statistics released by HeliDrive Zimbabwe chief medical doctor Dr Freddy Mhondiwa, the Harare base handled the bulk of the cases with 944 airlifts, followed by Bulawayo with 504, while the newly opened Victoria Falls base has already attended to 14 cases. The cases included adults, children and infants.
“As HeliDrive Zimbabwe National Air Ambulance Service, we are proud to mark the opening of our new operational base in Victoria Falls, a strategic development that significantly strengthens emergency medical response capacity in the region,” said Dr Mhondiwa.
“This new base positions us to deliver timely, high-quality aeromedical services to both tourists visiting one of Africa’s premier destinations and the surrounding local communities who require urgent access to advanced medical care.”
The development comes at a critical time for Victoria Falls, which is increasingly hosting key regional and international conferences under the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism model.
With the upcoming Cricket World Cup set to be hosted in the resort city, medical evacuations, trauma care and critical care transfers are expected to be in demand.
“Our teams are fully prepared and operational, with robust emergency response systems in place to manage medical evacuations, trauma care and critical care transfers across the region.
“Importantly, this expansion also enhances our readiness for the upcoming international Cricket World Cup events, to be hosted in Victoria Falls. We are working to ensure world-class medical preparedness, rapid response capability and seamless coordination with local health and emergency stakeholders to support athletes, officials, visitors and residents alike,” Dr Mhondiwa added. Victoria Falls attracts thousands of international tourists annually.
For visitors engaging in adventure sports such as bungee jumping, white-water rafting and helicopter flights over the falls, rapid access to advanced trauma care can mean the difference between life and death.
Local communities, too, stand to benefit. Previously, residents requiring urgent specialist care often faced lengthy transfers by road to Bulawayo or Harare.
The new base dramatically cuts response times and ensures that critically ill patients, including infants and children, receive timely evacuation.
Tourism stakeholders have described the latest development as a game-changer.
