Healthcare disparities have long been a pressing concern in remote communities like Oda. The limited infrastructure and the scarcity of medical resources and skilled personnel pose significant obstacles to delivering healthcare services. For expectant mothers in these communities, the journey to safe and healthy childbirth can be perilous, fraught with uncertainty and danger.

At the Oda Government Hospital in the Birim Central Municipality of the Eastern Region, where I work as a general surgeon, I received a call telling me to head straight to the hospital to help with surgical intravenous access due to a postpartum haemorrhage. I started to worry immediately because vital medical supplies, like blood, had run low the day before.

As a referral hospital for the local low-level health facilities, Oda Government Hospital provides a wide coverage area that is primarily rural. No matter the circumstances, we are always expected to be prepared to handle situations that are brought in for care. But considering the inherent limitations, I was on the edge, contemplating how to provide this patient with the best care.

We decided to try Zipline, and we were pleasantly surprised. The Zipline drones delivered several units of blood with frozen plasma in only a few minutes—roughly 25 minutes. That marked the beginning of our love affair with Zipline.

From stock shortages to timely deliveries

Throughout the years, the service has assisted in the provision of several units of blood and blood products to complement the low stock of the hospital blood bank; emergency stock of vaccines; laboratory reagents, and laboratory consumables. These have all been achieved in record time, reducing travel distances, travel risk and enhancing provision of timely service to the patients.

Recent technological advancements have unlocked unimaginable possibilities for remote regions like Oda, and Zipline Ghana is at the forefront of this progress. Through their visionary drone logistics delivery service, they have transformed the healthcare landscape in our area, becoming the catalyst that bridges the gap between life and death for countless patients in our community.

These drone deliveries have become a great complement to the existing means of supply by the regional stores, mostly during emergencies when we run out of stock.  What was once a major concern when we ran out of medications has greatly been brought to a minimum concern as we could rely on the swift and efficient delivery of critical medical supplies such as blood, vaccines and other life-saving medications.

Beyond this impressive speed, the innovative approach has significantly elevated the quality of care we provide. With the drones' timely arrival, we can now focus on our patients' well-being without compromising their treatment.  Previously hindered by distance and logistical constraints, vaccination campaigns are now within reach. Children, adults, and the elderly alike can benefit from timely immunizations, shielding them from preventable diseases and fostering a healthier, more resilient community. More importantly, we do not have to overstock these products; which may not even be used; we can order on-demand from Zipline and receive the same.

Enhancing Zipline's payload capacity for greater efficiency

Zipline's support has been enormous, not only to our facility but to others benefiting from the same. Collaborating with them demonstrates a deep grasp of the critical role of technology in the overall healthcare delivery in the country.

Zipline should consider increasing the weight of the payload. The current 1.8kg seems smaller when we need several products at the same time. Also, the company could consider doing multiple trips at a given time, where for example, a request could be delivered to point A and proceed to point B to drop the other.

The government of Ghana should be commended for such a bold move of partnering with Zipline at a time when not much has been heard about the company in our part of the world. Government, Zipline, and all concerned citizens should focus on expanding this technology to other areas and ensuring its sustainability. 

Continuous research for ongoing improvement

It will be interesting to read the findings of impact studies that could be conducted in the service areas to gauge the extent of uptake and impact. Novelty projects such as this greatly improve when there’s sufficient research on an ongoing basis to identify areas for improvement and establish the extent of Zipline's impact on timely medical interventions, patient outcomes, and overall healthcare accessibility especially in remote areas.

Looking forward, I see healthcare improvements spreading to more rural areas, enabling fair access to excellent medical treatments for everyone and writing a new chapter in healthcare history where distance is no longer an impediment to life-saving treatment. It is my wish that this disruptive technology will continue to soar, impacting more lives and improving healthcare one drone flight at a time.