The Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS), today successfully executed two critical aeromedical evacuations, airlifting critically ill patients from Mpika and Livingstone to Lusaka for urgent specialized medical intervention.

One patient, an 83-year-old from Michael Chilufya Sata General Hospital in Mpika, was a suspected case of hemorrhagic stroke requiring urgent intervention.

Following a swift request from Dr. Andrew Sichone, Acting Head of Clinical Care at the hospital, and authorization from Dr. George Sinyangwe, Permanent Secretary for Donor Coordination at the Ministry of Health (MOH), ZFDS promptly dispatched an aircraft.

The ZFDS plane, registration number 9J-FDS, departed Ndola at 08:00 hours, landing in Mpika by 09:20 hours.

After the patient was carefully loaded, the aircraft was airborne at 09:45 hours and arrived at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) - ZAF base in Lusaka at 11:35 hours.

Simultaneously, a second emergency evacuation was underway for a 15-year-old male patient from Livingstone Teaching Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. The teenager required urgent neurosurgical intervention for a space-occupying lesion.

Dr. Kor Chiyenu, Senior Medical Superintendent at Livingstone Teaching Hospital, initiated the request, which was subsequently authorized by the Ministry of Health.

ZFDS deployed aircraft registration AGC, which departed Ndola at 10:40 hours and arrived in Livingstone at 11:45 hours. The patient was then flown to Lusaka, touching down at 13:12 hours at the ZAF Base, Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.

Both patients were successfully handed over to medical teams from Maina Soko Military Hospital and University Teaching hospital in Lusaka for their critical specialist treatment.v