Humanitarian in the Sky: Ghana launches the world's largest vaccine drone delivery network

World
Europe

02:10

Ghana has launched the world's largest medical drone delivery service. The new service will operate 24 hours a day from four distribution centers each equipped with 30 drones. They will deliver to over 2,000 health facilities serving 12 million people across the country. CGTN's Nabil Ahmed Rufai explains.

At the newly established medical drone delivery center in Omenako in Eastern Ghana, blood is being packaged. The blood will be transported to a remote hospital.

MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA GHANAIAN VICE PRESIDENT "Our focus as a government is to ensure that the health needs of the Ghanaian people are better served. This is the 21st century, no Ghanaian deserves to die for lack of blood. No Ghanaian deserves to die because medicine needed is not readily available at the health facility he or she has been rushed to during an emergency."

The launch of the medical drone technology center in Ghana makes it the largest vaccine drone delivery in the world. The government says corporate institutions are funding the 12 million dollar medical drone technology project.

NABIL AHMED RUFAI ACCRA, GHANA "This drone technology service is expected to increase healthcare access to more than 14 million people in Ghana. At least 148 lifesaving and essential medical supplies including emergency blood will be in stock at the distribution centers."

And over 2000 health facilities across Ghana are to benefit from the medical drone services.

JUSTIN HAMILTON SPOKESPERSON, ZIPLINE "We'll have four distribution centers here in Ghana. Each distribution center will have 30 drones collectively capable of making 600 flights a day."

Ghana's Medical Association has however opposed this new technology - it says the money should instead be spent adding staff and ambulances to the country's healthcare sector.

But the government says technology must be harnessed to change the face of healthcare delivery and save lives. Nabil Ahmed Rufai, Eastern Region, Ghana.