Is air medical service similar to dial-a-delivery?

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Garikai Mazara

Mid-May there were media reports suggesting that the country had received 18 "brand new" helicopter ambulances.

Typical of social media these days, opinion was equally divided, with one half arguing that the Government, instead of acquiring the flying machines, could have used that X amount of money to capacitate our health centres, most of which are getting by without even the basic of provisions.

Others were singing in the Government's corner, arguing that we need to modernize our infrastructure and equipment, that we should be moving with the times.

But two incidents, both of them fatal, made us come to reality with what is on the ground. First was the death of Dr Mthabisi Nembaware, whilst coming from serving and saving patients in Hauna, when he had a road traffic accident.

For hours, he waited to be transferred to Harare from Mutare, either air-lifting or any emergency rescue service. Sadly, he passed on before he could be helped.

A question of, what if.

Then just a month later, popular RnB musician, Garry Mapanzure, was involved in another RTA and equally waited for hours, some are putting them at 10, to receive emergency rescue services. Other reports are suggesting that a private medical rescue services provider charged $2 900, to be paid upfront, for him to be transferred to Harare.

In day-to-day life, and worse an emergency, that kind of money does not usually lie around.

Whilst the nation commiserates with these two unfortunate incidents, how many other similar accidents and incidents needed emergency rescue services and didn't get any? These two got the attention of the nation probably because they were popular personalities - how about the not-so-popular citizens?

And whilst we are there, why the need to transfer a patient from Mutare, the country's fourth largest city to Harare? Also why the need to transfer the musician from Masvingo to Harare? Even if the emergency rescue services had been availed, what was the guarantee that these two patients would have survived these flights? Why not attend them at the respective receiving hospitals?

Back to the helicopter ambulances received in May, are they freely available to the public or there is a cost to using them? That it is now almost six months after receiving them, is the information of accessing these rescue helicopters readily available to the public?

Is it like dial-a-delivery or they are available through the requesting hospital? And given the bureaucracy that characterises most of our Government institutions, how effective is this route for someone who is on a life-or-death situation?

President Mnangagwa has severally said he is a listening President. And with the appointment of Dr Mombeshora, a trained doctor, into the health ministry portfolio, these are some of the issues that they need to address. Our health delivery system is in a crisis and the Government ought to do something tangible, something healing.