World’s first medical drone delivery project in Ghana highly extolled by Bill Gates

The world knows Ghana has created history by inaugurating planet’s first medical drone delivery centre at Omenako, a village near Suhum in the Eastern Region. The multi-billionaire business magnate Bill Gates has lauded the country’s step in adopting drone technology to supply essential medical supplies to health facilities.

Ghana inaugurated the world’s first medical drone delivery centre last month to serve as a point from where blood and other essential medicines and vaccines will be distributed by drones to hospitals and other healthcare facilities. The co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates has extolled Ghana’s collaboration with Zipline, the company which has taken the responsibility for installation, operation and maintenance of the drones for implementing the innovative idea, according to Graphic Online.

Bill Gates has expressed his surprise to his followers via Twitter praising the start-up Zipline’s association with Ghana in accomplishing the drone-implementation project. The initiative titled 'Fly to Save a Life Project' will fly drones to make on-demand emergency deliveries of 148 different vaccines, blood products and life-saving medications.

It will operate 24x7 from four distribution centres – each equipped with 30 drones and deliver to 2,000 health facilities serving 12 million people across Ghana. Once the four distribution centres are fully operational, those are expected to make up to 500 on-demand flights a day.

It’s amazing to think about the creative ways we’ve delivered vaccines over the years (even by dog sled, when necessary). Today, a startup called Zipline is even using delivery drones to reach the most remote parts of the world. https://t.co/ivkdFYc2j0 #VaccinesWork

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) April 30, 2019

Also Read: Ghana’s VP Mahamudu Bawumia launches world's first medical drone delivery centre