Kaduna State Healthcare Officials Laud Zipline Services for Medical Supplies

Healthcare officers in Kaduna and its environs have observed great improvements in medical services since Zipline commenced commercial flight delivery of medical supplies to health facilities in the state via drones.

Zipline made its first commercial delivery in Kaduna on August 15, 2022. Since then, the centre has made more than 13,507 commercial deliveries containing more than 224,778 vaccine doses including 154,305 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 1,159,176 units of medical products and 407,889 units of consumables to facilities in Gimi-Tasha, Crossing HC, Kargi, Gedage, Kaibi, Tumbau, Karre, Garun Kurama, Tashan Tsamiya, Kaware among others.

Speaking about the development, the Director-in-Charge of the Karreh Primary Health Centre in Kaduna State, Idris Isa, said: “Before Zipline, facilities providing basic healthcare programs had to travel far to get drugs for registered clients when there was a shortage. 

“It was often a challenge to replenish deliveries, which always took longer than expected. But since we started working with Zipline, we can just place orders, and they deliver them in record time. The difference is clear, and the supply has been incredible to save more lives.”

According to Isa, Zipline deliveries have helped healthcare workers improve patient care. Since working with Zipline, he has noticed better outcomes for patients being treated for hypertension, pneumonia, measles, HIV, cholera, meningitis, yellow fever, malaria, tuberculosis and pregnancy complications. 

Part of the reason Zipline improved outcomes, Isa further said, was because instant access to medical supplies allowed staff to treat patients at the health centre rather than referring them elsewhere. He observed that the previous rate of referrals was a major deterrent for people to visit the health facility. He also commended Zipline and the government for introducing the technology that has saved lives, especially in areas where healthcare access remains a challenge.

Health officials say essential drug delivery to various health facilities in the state has improved leading to increase in outpatient cases, shortened delay time in access to healthcare etc. This has transformed how medical supplies are delivered to health facilities within the state, impacting those in underserved communities. 

The Director-in-Charge of Ibada Health Centre in the state, Wada Yunusa, also 

praised Zipline for the timely delivery of critical medical interventions that has saved many lives, especially in cases of emergency. 

According to him, “Zipline delivery to the health center has been fast and efficient. Their timely support is enabling us to deliver on our mandate with ease knowing that even when we need medication in times of emergencies, they will come to the rescue”. 

Over the years, Zipline has demonstrated capacity to work with governments and health systems to enable health supply chains to become more efficient.

Commenting on the impact of the service, the Community Lead of Zipline in Kaduna State, Kwasu Kanchok, indicated that the drone delivery system has immensely contributed to the overall health delivery at the facilities. . 

“More than 300 health facilities within 80 -100 kilometers from the host local government Kubau to Galadimawa PHC, Kauru LGA to Lere LGA, and the other communities get their essential drugs through Zipline,” Kanchok said. 

“By the support of the state government of Kaduna, we are removing most of the access barriers that inhibit health delivery in the area. Health centres do not need to wait days before getting medical supplies. Now, they can get the supplies they need within 30 minutes,” Kanchok further said. 

General Manager of Zipline Nigeria, Ms Catherine Odiase, said: “We remain committed to ensuring that the people of Kaduna can access the care they need at health facilities. And in addition to creating immediate access to medical supplies and providing coherent data to the facilities, we are also contributing to driving down all forms of mortality rates within Kaduna. In addition to Zipline’s technology and team, we have the leadership of the government of Kaduna State to thank for this successful partnership.”

Zipline, the global leader in instant logistics deliveries, has become a household name for immediate transport of medical logistics, with over 500,000 deliveries of medical commodities, over five million products delivered and serving over 25 million customers across the globe.  

The Kaduna State government believes the partnership is a tremendous opportunity to improve the overall health system and create employment opportunities for the citizens, Odiase further said.