Ghana’s Ministry of Health is launching the largest and most advanced medical drone delivery network in the world.
The drone delivery network, which will be run by the Ghana Health Services and the Ministry of Health, will give Ghana the most advanced health care supply chain on the planet.
The drones will operate 24 hrs a day from 4 distribution centers across the country. The first distribution center will be located near Suhum.
The sites for the remaining 3 will be finalized by GHS subsequently, but are expected to cover much of the country.
The distribution centers will stock 148 lifesaving and essential medical supplies including:
Emergency blood and oxytocin to saves women’s lives in childbirth. Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death.
Emergency medicines for surgeries, severe infections, antivenins and anti-rabies, diabetic emergencies, extremely high blood pressure emergencies.
When one of the of the 2,500 health facilities covered by the new service stocks out of a product, it will order an emergency delivery by drone that will arrive in 30-40 minutes.
The drones will not replace the existing supply chain. They will specialize in handling emergency stockout situations.