• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • ChannelOne TV
  • Infographics
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Listen To CitiFM
  • Watch ChannelOneTV
  • Videos
  • Citi Verify
  • Elections
No Result
View All Result
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Listen To CitiFM
  • Watch ChannelOneTV
  • Videos
  • Citi Verify
  • Elections
No Result
View All Result
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
No Result
View All Result

Zipline to begin medical supplies via drones by second quarter of 2019

Delali Adogla-BessabyDelali Adogla-Bessa
February 11, 2019
Reading Time: 2 mins read
ShareShareShareShare

Operators of Fly Zipline Ghana have revealed that the company will by the second quarter of the year begin operations of using drone technology to deliver blood and other essential medicines to health facilities within the country.

It will be recalled that Parliament in 2018 gave approval for the company to operate in the country in a bid to improve the health care delivery system in the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”HNQoFTaonAooloKn2YZlIhNJm0z7ZJ84″]The first facility will be built in the Eastern Region and will have the capacity to supply blood to some parts of Ashanti, Greater Accra, Central and Volta Regions.

This latest information was made known to journalists by the Head of Systems Integration of Zipline Ghana, Daniel Marfo during a facility tour of Zipline in Rwanda.

Though the cost details of Zipline’s operations in Ghana are unclear, the Ghana Health Service indicated that the project cost per service delivery of $17 is lower than the purported cost of $22.7 per delivery in Rwanda.

The Fly Zipline contract will run for four years and $88,000 will be used per a distribution centre per month when fully deployed.

Zipline is also guaranteeing an average emergency delivery time of less than an hour and at least 150 flights daily.

The drones will operate 24 hours a day from four distribution centres which will stock 184 lifesaving and essential medical supplies.

Criticisms

The Minority in Parliament consistently criticised the agreement describing it as a rip-off.

It also said operating the services will cost the state $145,000 dollars monthly at each distribution centre.

A policy think tank, IMANI Africa, also called for a review of the deal and noted that flying blood and other essential medical supplies via drone technology will not do much to improve the country’s health sector.

The Ghana Medical Association also called on the government to suspend the deal because it does not fit into the country’s existing healthcare policy.

Defense from Zipline

The Systems Integration Manager at Fly Zipline, Daniel Marfo, has said the drone technology to be used in supplying blood should be viewed solely as an emergency intervention.

Speaking on Citi TV’s Face to Face, Mr. Marfo said that feasibility studies by Zipline revealed that health centres in Ghana face various challenges and as a result, he expects the introduction of the drones will help save lives during emergency circumstances.

“When products actually run out, you can actually lose a lot of lives, so we are providing an emergency delivery service. We are not replacing normal delivery” Mr. Marfo noted.

–

By: Anita Arthur | citinewsroom.com | Ghana

Tags: Ghana NewsZipline
ShareTweetSendSend
Previous Post

Mutawakilu accuses GNPC boss of hijacking procurement processes

Next Post

KNUST aims to establish ‘centre of excellence in petroleum engineering’

Related Posts

General

Over 200 gather in Accra as Bybit, Tether, and Crypto Ghana advance crypto education

July 10, 2025
International

Kenya’s president defiant, backs security forces after deadly protests

July 10, 2025
International

Deadly new Russian drone attack hits Kyiv

July 10, 2025
Featured

No nationwide blackout on July 13 – Energy Ministry clarifies

July 10, 2025
Featured

Ngleshie Amanfro: Suspected robbers kill 21-year-old MoMo vendor

July 10, 2025
Business

$367m IMF disbursement hits Bank of Ghana account

July 10, 2025
Next Post

KNUST aims to establish ‘centre of excellence in petroleum engineering’

ADVERTISEMENT
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana

CitiNewsroom.com is Ghana's leading news website that delivers high quality innovative, alternative news that challenges the status quo.

Archives

Download App

Download

Download

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • ChannelOne TV
  • Infographics

© 2024 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Listen To CitiFM
  • Watch ChannelOneTV
  • Videos
  • Citi Verify
  • Elections

© 2024 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.