Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS) today executed a life-saving emergency medical evacuation, airlifting four critically ill patients, including a four-day-old newborn, from Chinsali General Hospital to Lusaka for advanced specialist treatment.

The urgent operation was necessitated by the patients' severe, life-threatening conditions, which required immediate specialized medical care unavailable in Muchinga province.

The patients airlifted were a four-day-old baby, a seven-year-old boy, an 11-year-old girl, and a 30-year-old man.

They are confirmed to be suffering from urgent, severe pathologies including airway obstruction, severe pancreatitis, a congenital birth defect, and cardiac complications related to Rheumatic Heart Disease.

The urgent referral request was made by hospital Acting Medical Superintendent Dr. Cephas Sinkamba and approved by the Ministry of Health, citing the need for specialist intervention at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and the National Heart Hospital.

The ZFDS aircraft, registered as 9J-FDS, initiated the mission from Ndola at 08:12 hours and landed in Chinsali at 10:00 hours.

The medical crew swiftly prepared the patients, with two requiring stretcher transportation and two needing continuous oxygen support.

The aircraft departed Chinsali at 10:32 hours, with ZFDS paramedics maintaining continuous medical monitoring throughout the flight.

The plane flown by Chief Pilot Patrick Kawanu and Siphosami Zulu arrived safely in Lusaka at 13:00 hours.

Upon arrival at the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Base at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, the patients were immediately transferred via waiting ambulances to specialist teams from UTH and the National Heart Hospital for urgent management.

We continue to provide effective and efficient service delivery to all patients through the Ministry of Health.