Harare, (New Ziana) – Government helicopters have so far airlifted 345 patients from across the country to central hospitals, Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora told Parliament on Wednesday.

The air ambulances, part of a government initiative to improve access to life-saving care, are equipped with high-quality intensive care facilities and respond swiftly to emergencies in remote areas.

“The air ambulance service started in July 2024 and to date, 345 patients were airlifted to the Harare base at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital. In the same vein, 66 patients were evacuated to the UBH Base from Bulawayo Hospitals. The airlifted cases comprise a wide range of emergency cases including maternity cases, pre-term and many other medical emergencies. Many lives have been saved by the air ambulance evacuation services,” he said.

Dr. Mombeshora said more air bases for the ambulances are planned for Victoria Falls, Mutare, and Masvingo. However, he noted the service is costly.

“The running of the helicopters is estimated randomly at US$36,000 per month. Variable costs are still under discussion,” he said.

He confirmed that the government owns the helicopters. “The air ambulance assets, namely the helicopters, are wholly owned by the Government of Zimbabwe. The operations of the helicopters are highly technical and require checks by IATA engineering technicians before and after takeoff. In that regard, the Government of Zimbabwe engaged Game Drive, a technical operator to provide the aircraft technicians and pilots while at the same time train Zimbabwe pilots and aircraft technicians to eventually take over the running of (the) aircraft,” he said.

The service is manned by a team of Russian and Zimbabwean doctors, nurses, and emergency responders, providing round-the-clock critical care.

New Ziana