Hope Renewed As Kaduna Prepares to Tackle Medical Emergencies

Yinka Olatunbosun

To transform healthcare systems with instant delivery of medical supplies, state governments are embracing new methods that can hasten response to medical emergencies.

In February 2021, Zipline-the world’s only last-mile aerial logistics company delivering medical commodities- signed a Memorandum of Understanding on drone delivery of medical aids, comprising vaccines, blood, and other lifesaving products with the Kaduna state government. In order to tackle emergency cases to reduce the rate of preventable deaths, Zipline is already providing instant access to vital medical supplies for rural dwellers in Ghana and Rwanda, where its operations are already a success.

A Nigerian pharmacist who works at the Omenako facility in Ghana, Samuel Timothy Noma shares his experience of working in a Zipline facility:
“I have seen instances where people will call over a long period of time saying there is an incidence of postpartum haemorrhage. The nearest point for the patient to access medicine is about two hours’ drive from there,’’ he said.

Noma, who received visiting Nigerian journalists at the Omenako facility on August 6, is part of the team that will set up the first Zipline facility in Kaduna.

“It is really a privilege for me to be here. For me, this is so dear to me because Kaduna is my place, that’s where I have been and schooled. We really understand the context in which Zipline is coming to deliver there in Kaduna,” he gushed.

Zipline’s Senior Vice President, Daniel Marfo explained how the Zipline facility is managed.

“The new solution is to increase access and reduce medical waste, key stock of blood products, vaccines, and life-saving medications. All these will be stored at Zipline’s distribution centres for just-in-time delivery. Health workers will place orders by text message or call, and promptly receive their deliveries in 30 minutes on average. The drones both take off from and land at Zipline’s distribution centres, requiring no additional infrastructure or manpower at the clinics they serve. The drones fly autonomously and can carry 1.8kg of cargo, cruising at 110km an hour, and have a round trip range of 160km, even in high-speed winds and rain,” he said.

Operating 24 hours daily from three distribution centres with each equipped with 30 drones to deliver to more than one thousand health facilities across Kaduna state, Zipline will contribute to the state’s economy by employing and training people from Kaduna to work with the company. Having duly registered with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Ministry of Health, Zipline is set to change the narrative for medical response in Nigeria, one state at a time.

Marfo also assured that the organisation maintains high degree of safety culture, adding that they are also in talks with other states in Nigeria and some Africa countries to sign-up for the initiative.

For Noma, who is daily contributing his quota to saving lives in Ghana, he can’t wait for the initiative to kick off in his home state of Kaduna.
In the same vein, for Kaduna state Governor Nasir El-Rufai, this is a welcome development that will strengthen the capacity of the Kaduna state health system.

“This new emergency drone delivery service is a great solution to deliver vaccines, blood, and other lifesaving products instantly when time is of the essence. It will help ensure that millions of people in Kaduna state will always get the care they need.” Earlier this year, in May, the Cross River state government and Zipline announced a partnership. Ayade described the health care drones as “one of the many forward-thinking interventions we are implementing to consolidate the gains we have made within the health care system.”