Medical supplies delivered in Ghana with the use of drones.
The Ghana Drone Delivery Service was launched on 24 April 2019 (5 years ago) (2019-04-24), to deliver medical supplies within designated areas in Ghana with the use of drones.[1][2]
Zipline in partnership with the Ghana Health Service operates 24 hours a day.[3] The President, Nana Akufo Addo commissioned the second based delivery at Mampong in the Ashanti Region.[4]
The Ghana Police Service has adopted drone technology to complement the work of officers on the ground. Drone technology will enable the police force to detect and combat crime.[5]
By November 2020, five companies had been commissioned to provide drone services in the country. They are SKT Aeroshutter, Rocketmine Aerial Data Solutions,[6] Zipline International, Rudan Engineering, and Axis Drone Surveys. These were chosen out of 977 applications.[7]
Zipline
Zipline is a USA-based medical drone delivery company operating in Rwanda and now Ghana. The first distribution center opened in Omenako in April 2019. Medical products -- including blood, plasma, medicines, and vaccines -- are stored centrally at Zipline's distribution centers and distributed quickly to hospitals and clinics.[8] The service also delivered COVID-19 test kits and this lessened the time that was spent sending them by road.[9]
How it Works
- Doctors place an order for the product they need.[10]
- Zipline operators package the product into the drone which then launches into the air, flying 100km/hour. The drones are fully autonomous and battery-powered.[11]
- The drone flies over the ordering-hospital or clinic and drops the package mid-air. The package floats down, using a parachute to slow its momentum, and the drone flies back to the Zipline distribution center to be reloaded.
Delivery Centers
- Omenako[12]
- Mampong[13]
- Kukua[14]
- Sefwi Wiawso
References