Ghana is toying with the idea of drones in drug distribution

desmond frimpong

April 24, 2018 5:36 PM

Speaking at the 2018 Annual Health Summit in Accra, the Vice President said the government would sign a Memorandum of Understanding this week to put the technology into effect.

Ghana has begun research into using drones to distribute blood and other essential medicines to remote parts of the country.

The Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia announced on Monday that the project will commence by September 2018 as part of efforts to ensure quality healthcare delivery.

Speaking at the 2018 Annual Health Summit in Accra, the Vice President said the government would sign a Memorandum of Understanding this week to put the technology into effect.“We by the grace of God; there is ongoing discussions, we are looking at innovative ways to deliver blood supplies as well as essential medicines to remote areas. As the rains come in, some areas are going to be cut off… Do we allow mothers to die because we can’t have blood supplies or essential medicines? Ghana this week, will be signing an MOU and by the middle of this year or by September, we will join Malawi and Rwanda with using drone technology to deliver blood supplies and essential medicines. So we are going to do so that this year,” he said.Although he failed to give details about the arrangement, he emphasized that the government was keen on introducing other innovations to boost the country’s health sector.In Ghana, the rate of maternal mortality continue to be a major source of worry especially for health practitioners who believe many of the deaths especially in rural areas could be avoided if essential medicines and blood and made available to women in labour.Rwanda is among the few African countries working with US-based automated logistics firm, Zipline International Inc. to deliver blood and vaccines by drone on demand to patients including women in labour in rural communities. This is reported to have saved thousands of women from death as a result of hemorrhage during childbirth.Meanwhile, Dr. Bawumia has promised that the government has initiated processes to procure 275 ambulances to be distributed to each constituency.

desmond frimpong