Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia announced that Ghana has become the world’s largest medical drone delivery service. According to him, this initiative has significantly improved access to essential medical supplies, particularly in remote and underserved areas of the country.
Speaking during his tour of the Upper West Region, Dr. Bawumia highlighted the transformative impact of the medical drone delivery system. “Ghana has become the world’s largest medical drone delivery service,” he declared, emphasizing the country’s leading role in leveraging technology to enhance healthcare services.
Introducing medical drones in Ghana addresses critical challenges in the healthcare system, particularly the timely delivery of life-saving medicines, blood supplies, and vaccines to rural and hard-to-reach areas. Dr. Bawumia recounted a personal experience that underscored the urgency of this initiative.
“When my father was admitted to the Tamale Teaching Hospital, we needed blood urgently after his operation. The blood bank was locked, and we couldn’t get the necessary supplies promptly. Unfortunately, my father passed away by morning,” he shared.
Motivated by this experience, Dr. Bawumia pursued drone technology to prevent such tragedies. He visited San Francisco to meet with Zipline, the company behind the drone technology and advocated for their services in Ghana.
This collaboration installed six drone centers, each averaging 100 flights daily to deliver medical suppl.