Akufo-Addo inaugurates second medical drone centre at Mpanya

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday inaugurated Ghana’s second medical drone distribution centre at Mpanya, near Asante Mampong in the Ashanti Region.

It comes after the opening of the first Zipline distribution centre at Omenako in the Abuakwa North municipality in the Eastern Region in April this year.
The inauguration of the Mpanya Distribution Centre took place on the second day of the President’s three-day official visit to the Ashanti Region.

Expansion

President Akufo-Addo said the second distribution centre was part of the government’s broader commitment to expand the reach of the medical drone delivery service and ensure that no Ghanaian was left behind in access to essential medicines.

Since the commencement of operations at the first medical drone distribution centre at Omenako, over 1,000 flights have been made, with over 5,000 products delivered.

That, according to the President, was an impressive start, adding: “We hope that when all the over 2,000 health facilities in the country are brought on board, we will have many more deliveries per day, serving the entire population.”

Great help

Describing the medical drone service as being of great help in managing medical cases at the various facilities, he recounted the case of Charles Coffie, a 44-year-old driver in the Eastern Region whose life was saved by the supply of emergency blood products after he had suffered severe bleeding during an operation.

“We have also heard very positive stories from health practitioners in the various health facilities benefiting from this project. These testimonies point to one thing – we cannot afford to play politics with everything in this country,” he said.

“The incessant politicisation of all issues does no credit to Ghanaian politics. When Zipline is called to supply blood products during emergency situations, it does not ask if the recipient is an NPP or NDC member before doing so. Health, like many other aspects of our national life, knows no party colours,” he added.

He recounted statements made during the introduction of the medical drone delivery service for the delivery of essential medical health products and said those statements were counter-productive.

Related: Ghana launches second drone delivery base at Asante Mampong

PHOTO: The Zipline Facility at Mpanya near Asante Mampong