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Zambia Flying Doctor Service

The Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS) is a grant-aided service delivery statutory board under the Ministry of Health (MoH) that was created under an Act of Parliament No 37 of 1967 with amendment No 18 of 1972 and repealed by act No 25 of 1975 Chapter 298 of the Laws of Zambia. It was founded by Dr. James Lawless in 1965. The FDS Act provides for the establishment, management and development of the Zambia Flying Doctor Service

Our Mission

To provide cost effective, quality and efficient aero-medical services in remote, rural and hard to reach areas and other parts of the country in order to combat human diseases and save lives

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Latest News

#zambiaflyingdoctorservice, #medicalevacuation, #healthcoverageforall

02 February 2026

By Public Relations Team

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The Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS) executed emergency Aeromedical evacuation to save two nuns left with life-threatening injuries following a head-on collision in Chipata, Eastern Province.

The sisters, aged 61 and 40, were airlifted to Lusaka after the road accident left them with serious injuries.
The evacuation, which took place on Friday, 30th January 2025, was the culmination of a marathon day for the ZFDS crew that saw them traverse the country to bridge the gap between Southern and Eastern province.
The sisters had been receiving treatment at Chipata Central Hospital following the accident crash on 26th January,2026.
However, Senior Medical Superintendent Dr. Mbinga Mbinga determined that their injuries which required intervention beyond the hospital's capacity.
"Both patients required immediate surgical intervention to prevent complications," Dr. Mbinga stated in an urgent request to the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Dr. Kennedy Lishimpi, immediately authorized the ZFDS to carry out the evacuation to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.
The ZFDS plane, registration 9J AGC, piloted by Director of Aviation Services Lasford Manchisi and co-pilot Siphosami Zulu, dashed to Chipata to pick up the patients.
On board, paramedics Suzan Banda and Sampa Chibwe provided care to the two sisters throughout the flight.
Upon landing at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport ZAF base, the sisters were met by two separate ambulances from UTH and the National Heart Hospital due to the complexity of their injuries.
Both sisters are now undergoing further treatment at UTH. The rescue followed a serious accident on Airport Road in Chipata.
According to Eastern Province Police, a Toyota Hiace Quantum failed to keep to its lane and collided head-on with the sisters' vehicle near a local parish.
The flight was the second major operation of the day for the ZFDS team, following a morning mission repatriating two patients beneficiaries of Workers compensation to Livingstone.

#zambiaflyingdoctorservice, #medicalevacuation, #healthcoverageforall

01 February 2026

By Public Relations Team

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The Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS) today successfully conducted an emergency aeromedical evacuation involving an infant and a critically ill adult patient from Kasama General Hospital to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.
The first patient was a one-year-nine-month-old infant who presented with a blocked airway after a groundnut became lodged in the airway, resulting in excessive coughing and reduced air entry on the right side, accompanied by bilateral rhonchi. Due to the severity of the condition, the child required urgent specialized medical intervention at UTH.
The second patient was a 50-year-old male who sustained a spinal injury following a road traffic accident on 23rd January 2026. Given the critical nature of his condition, air evacuation was deemed the safest option to ensure timely access to specialized care.
In response to the emergency, ZFDS deployed the Caravan, registration 9J-AGC, piloted by Deputy Director of Aviation, Mr. Patrick Kawanu, with Co-Pilot Ms. Chanda Mumpangwe. The aeromedical evacuation was supported by Paramedics Susan Banda and Salifyanji Nachamba, who provided continuous monitoring and care to both patients throughout the flight.
Both patients were transported safely, remained in stable condition, and were successfully handed over to the medical team at the University Teaching Hospital upon arrival.

#zambiaflyingdoctorservice, #medical evacuation, #lukuluevacuation

29 January 2026

By Public Relations Team

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A 21-year-old man injured in a motorbike accident has been evacuated by Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS) from one of the country's remote districts in Western Province.
The patient was struck by a motorbike on 25th January 2026 while riding his bicycle. He was taken unconscious to Sikata Health Facility and initially treated before being transferred to Lukulu District Hospital.
There, medical staff diagnosed severe traumatic brain injury, a fractured skull, and bleeding from his ears and nose.
Dr. Kabwe Kabongo, the Acting Medical Officer at Lukulu District Hospital, urgently requested an emergency airlift to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) for neurosurgical attention.
After the Ministry of Health (MOH) approval through the office of the Permanent Secretary , the ZFDS plane was dispatched with paramedics on Thursday morning, 29th January 2026.
The aircraft departed North Western Province at 14:00 hours local time and arrived in Lusaka at 16:25 hours, where an ambulance from the University Teaching Hospital- UTH was waiting to rush the patient to the facility.
The plane was piloted by Lasford Manchisi, the Flying Doctor Service's Director Aviation Services, and co-piloted by Siphosami Zulu, with paramedics Bupe Musenge and Suzan Banda providing in-flight medical care.

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Contact Infomation

Plot number 2965, Hangar No 1B at Zuze Airforce Base, Ndola.

(+260) 212-618228, 00212-613890, 0212611417/8

zfdsadmin@zfds.org.zm

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