Birim Central Municipality JHS visits Zipline

Zipline Ghana which operates the drone system in six centres in the country, namely Omenako, Anum, Asante Mampong, Walewale, Sefwi Wiawso and Kete Karachi, has since its introduction, delivered over 15 million doses of blood, vaccines, medicines, and made over 650,000 deliveries nationwide.

Zipline’s Partnership Manager for Ghana, Leslie Blankson, disclosed this when 200 pupils comprising 120 girls and 80 boys from 40 selected Junior High Schools in the Birim Central Municipality visited the Omenako drone center to acquaint themselves with their operations.

Deliveries by drone was introduced by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in 2019 to deliver emergency medicines, vaccines and blood to health facilities in remote areas which are in dire need of emergency items.

Mr Blankson noted with pride that Ghana was the leading drone delivery system in the whole world, beating other users like the USA, Japan, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya and Cote ‘dIvoire.

He said the drone served 110 kilometers radius from the Zipline center, adding that the delivery time took between 15 and 35 minutes to reach its location.Mr Blankson said needy health facilities applied for blood and other items through the call centres which informed the Zipline Ghana, which responded promptly by sending the items through the drones.

He explained that Zipline Ghana which served only government facilities did not collect money directly from the facilities, as payments were made through the Ministry of Health (MoH).

He said when the programmed drones took off with the items, an order was sent to the facility at the destination on WhatsApp and when it was about five minutes to reach the destination, the trained staff of the facility were alerted to prepare for delivery.

He explained that the drone composed of the body, wings, battery and pale load, which was the container of the blood, medicines or vaccines.

Mr Blankson said the Omenako Zipline center had 19 drones at its operational area called the launch, 10 of which flew daily.

The staff of Zipline Ghana, including the Flight Operations Leader, Raphael Tene, and Maame ASI Amoah, the Fulfilment Operations Manager, conducted the pupils, their teachers and officials of the Birim Central Municipal Directorate of Education round the center to acquaint themselves with the operations of drones.

The Birim Central Municipal Director of Education, Esther Quaye Sowah, who led the delegation, thanked the staff of Zipline Ghana for the assistance.

She expressed gratitude to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akyem Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, who is also a Deputy Health Minister, for bearing the expenses for the tour.

In a short address, Mr Acquah said he sent the children to the center for them to see the importance of science education.

He advised them to study hard, especially Mathematics and Science, for the municipality to produce more scientists, engineers, doctors, among other professions.