Medical drone delivery system was born out of my father's death - Bawumia

Accra, Ghana - Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has shared a personal and poignant story behind the launch of Ghana's medical drone delivery initiative.

While campaigning in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency on Friday, Dr. Bawumia revealed that the 2002 death of his father, who passed away due to complications from surgery in Tamale, was a direct result of inadequate access to blood.

This heartbreaking experience, he explained, motivated him to champion the introduction of the medical drone delivery system, designed to ensure timely delivery of essential medical supplies, including blood, to remote areas.

Dr. Bawumia emphasized that the initiative was born out of a desire to prevent others from facing similar challenges in medical emergencies, underscoring his commitment to improving Ghana's healthcare infrastructure.

“We brought drones into Ghana to deliver medicines, vaccines, and blood. Many people were dying needlessly because they could not get medicine on time. A snake can bite you on the farm and you need medicine, and anti-snake serum immediately. A mother can be giving birth in the village and needs blood immediately.

“In 2002, my father had an operation in Tamale and was losing blood. We were looking for blood, but the blood bank was locked.

“We tried to find the operator but couldn’t find him. So when I heard about drones and Zipline and what they could do in delivering blood, I took my team and went to San Francisco.

“We met the Zipline company and convinced them to come to Ghana and set up six drone centres in Ghana. We have six drone centres which are delivering blood, medicines, and vaccines to 2,700 hospitals and health centres in Ghana. Every day we are saving lives. So far, the drones have flown 540,000 flights,” he stated.

Source: Lead News Online