Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
THE Helidrive National Air Rescue Service made its first rescue mission in the resort city of Victoria Falls this week when a patient suffering from a severe intestinal obstruction was airlifted to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo.
A doctor with the service, Dr Freddy Mhondiwa said that due to the unavailability of general surgical services required for an exploratory laparotomy at Victoria Falls Hospital, the transfer was thus deemed critical.
“The patient was stabilised before the airlift and arrived safely at Mpilo, where a specialised surgical team was on standby to perform the necessary procedure,” said Dr Mhondiwa.
Helidrive recently announced that it will be setting up its next base outside Harare and Bulawayo in Victoria Falls before spreading its wings throughout the country, becoming the first African country to have a public air rescue service covering the entire country.
The company was created to address some of the medical transportation challenges the country faced. It began operations in Harare in July 2024, while the second base in Bulawayo became operational in December of the same year.
It was established through a partnership between the Russian Republic and the Republic of Zimbabwe, where President Vladimir Putin and President Mnangagwa saw it fit to develop a robust air evacuation system, considering the challenges the country faced in air rescue transportation services.
The company announced during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair week last month that it is setting up a national emergency call centre as part of its ambitious drive to streamline Zimbabwe’s first publicly operated air ambulance system, with the ultimate goal of ensuring rapid medical response coverage across the country.
Once a call comes in, trained staff will ask key questions to assess whether the situation requires a ground ambulance or an air evacuation.
