The Sunday News
One of Zimbabwe’s leading health insurance organisation CIMAS Medical Aid Society has introduced a critical care emergency air ambulance to airlift patients locally and regionally to an appropriate medical facility.
The aircraft is the only dedicated air ambulance in Zimbabwe or anywhere else between the Limpopo River and Kenya. It will be available to airlift critically ill patients from anywhere in southern, central or east Africa.
CIMAS chief medical officer Douglas Gwatidzo said Zimbabwe was well placed geographically for the provision of air ambulance services to other countries in the region.
“The aircraft is ideal for emergency medical evacuations. It is able to land on short airstrips of any sort, making it possible to land at tourist resorts such as Fothergill Island or Chewore Game Park in the Zambezi Valley without any difficulty.
“Each flight will have a doctor and an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse with training in cardio-vascular life support to ensure that patients are well taken care of. The ambulance is virtually an intensive care unit in the air.
“Patients will be flown to the nearest appropriate hospital. In most cases patients from other countries and often even from Zimbabwe are transported to South African hospitals. The medical crew will accompany the patient all the way to the hospital,” he said.
“The King Air 200 is recognised worldwide as the best aircraft for transporting patients. It can accommodate two stretchers, although normally it will only be fitted with one,” he said.
CIMAS Emergency Air Rescue Service operations manager Shingisayi Chibvongodze said the flight crews have high powered communication equipment so they can communicate with hospitals as the flight proceeds.
Their communication equipment includes VHF radios and mobile phones with roaming facilities.
CIMAS Emergency Air Rescue Service utilises a dedicated twin engine Beechcraft King Air 200 aircraft, which has been configured with state-of-the-art intensive care facilities, including the most modern defibrillator in the country. – BH24.
