411 Lives Saved, But Zimbabwe’s Air Ambulance Service Still Limited

Zimbabwe’s free air ambulance service is currently being operated and maintained by Russian pilots and technicians due to a shortage of local expertise, Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora has told the National Assembly.

In May 2023, the government purchased 32 helicopters from Russia at a cost of US$10 million each.

Of these, 12 were designated for use as air ambulances, while the remainder were allocated to the police and military.

However, it later emerged that the helicopters were acquired without a clear operational plan, delaying the launch of the air ambulance service until July 2024, over a year after the purchase.

Currently, only three helicopters are in service: two operating in Harare and one in Bulawayo. The remaining nine earmarked for medical use are still grounded.

Mombeshora said that, as of last Wednesday, at least 411 patients with life-threatening conditions had been airlifted to hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo. These include accident victims and women experiencing pregnancy complications.

He added that running costs for each helicopter are estimated at US$36,000 per month. Mombeshora was responding to a question raised by Emakhandeni-Luveve MP Discent Collins Bajila. He added:

To date, 345 patients have been flown to the Harare base at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, while 66 patients were evacuated to the Bulawayo base at the United Bulawayo Hospitals.

These cases have included maternity complications, premature births, and other critical emergencies. Many lives have been saved.

He said plans were underway to position additional air ambulances in Victoria Falls, Mutare, and Masvingo.

However, Mombeshora admitted that there are currently no locally available pilots to operate the helicopters. He added:

The air ambulance assets—namely the helicopters—are wholly owned by the government of Zimbabwe.

Operating these aircraft requires highly technical expertise, including checks by IATA-certified engineering technicians before and after each flight.

He said the government had recently signed a contract with Game Drive, a technical aviation operator, to supply qualified pilots and technicians.

The company is also responsible for training Zimbabwean personnel to eventually take over operations from the Russian team.

More: ZimLive