Ghana to commence medical drone facilities in Q2 2019

The full utilization of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) is likely to commence full operations to distribute essential emergency medical supplies to various Ghanaian health facilities before the completion of second quarter of 2019.

The project, the first of four to be constructed in the country, will serve areas within the Eastern Region, including the Afram Plains, the Volta Region, parts of Greater Accra and the Ashanti regions. Among the emergency medical supplies to be distributed are blood and other medications on request from a medical facility within designated areas.

This was revealed when a select group of journalists toured the Zipline facility in Muhanga, Kigali, Rwanda to ascertain how the deliveries were made in that country. The US-based company is contracted by the government to execute the project.

"This project will be a major compliment for the health sector because it will help deliver emergency essential drugs and blood to deprived areas of the country effectively, faster and relatively cheaper," he said.

At the facility, there are pharmacists on standby who wait for orders for blood supply from a select number of hospitals and medical facilities. The order comes in two forms, emergency and restocking. Once the order is made, the pharmacists determine from the call or through a special Whatsapp application which has to be delivered first.