Zipline, the on-demand service that specialises in using drones to deliver emergency medical supplies, has delivered 162,017 blood products and critical medicines as of September 14, 2020.
109,403 Medical products
The medical products delivered during the period amounted to 109,403.
1,551 Pints of blood
A total of 1,551 blood units have also been delivered to various health facilities.
51,063 Vaccines
Various life-saving vaccines, totalling 51,063, have also been delivered to beneficiary health facilities.
3,171 Covid-19 test samples
Data shows that Zipline has delivered 3,171 Covid-19 test samples collected from patients in rural areas of Ghana to laboratories in Accra and Kumasi, expanding usage of its platform.
961 Health facilities
The on-demand drone delivery service has delivered life-saving blood products and critical medicines to 961 health facilities.
Serving difficult-to-reach places
Zipline designs and operates an autonomous system for delivering life-saving medicine to the world’s most difficult-to-reach places, with its drone delivery service dedicated to expanding healthcare access.
12 Routine and emergency vaccines, 148 blood products and critical medicines
It uses drones to make on-demand and emergency deliveries of 12 routine and emergency vaccines, as well as 148 blood products and critical medicines.
Omenako, Eastern Region – 55,678 supplies delivered
The Omenako delivery centre in the Eastern Region has delivered 55,678 supplies.
The breakdown of units delivered is: medical products – 31,804; blood – 923, vaccine – 22,951, Covid-19 samples – 1,340; and PPE – 10.
Mpanya, Ashanti Region – 45,392 supplies delivered
The centre at Mpanya in the Ashanti Region has so far delivered 45,392 supplies.
It comprises medical product – 25,883; blood – 472; vaccine – 19,037; Covid-19 samples – 1,831; and PPE – one.
Vobsi, North East Region – 46,622 supplies delivered
According to the data, the Zipline Centre at Vobsi in the North East Region has made 46,622 deliveries.
It is made up of medical products – 41,585; blood – 92; vaccine – 4,945; and PPE – 203.
Sefwi Wiawso – Western North Region – 14,325 supplies delivered
At Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region, the centre has delivered 14,325 supplies.
The breakdown of units delivered is: medical products – 10,131; blood – 64; and vaccines – 4,130.
Completed construction of all 4 distribution sites in 12 months
General Manager of Zipline Ghana, Mr Daniel Marfo announced that the company has completed the construction of all four distribution sites within a record time of 12 months after the launch of the first site in April 2019.
At full capacity, he said, all the four distribution centres will serve about 2,000 health facilities.
Zipline services in high demand
Currently, the services of Zipline are in high demand, especially in the five regions of the north that were affected by the recent flooding.
The daily emergency medical deliveries from the Vobsi distribution site have shot up from an average of 50 to 90.
President Akufo-Addo’s vision
Praising the service, Deputy Campaign Manager of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mustapha Hamid said the empathy that President Akufo-Addo has for the rural people, coupled with his vision, got him to institute the drone service for delivering critical medical supplies to remote areas of our country to save lives.
The service, which operates 24 hours a day from four distribution centres — each equipped with 30 drones, is expected to deliver to 2,000 health facilities serving 12 million people across the country.
Access to vital health products around the world is hampered by the last mile problem: the difficulty of matching the supply of medicine from central storage to the demand at urban and rural health facilities.
Life-saving care
All too often, people requiring life-saving care do not get the medicine they need when they need it.
Zipline’s medical drone delivery system is designed to eliminate this problem.
Reduce medical waste
To increase access and reduce medical waste, key stock of blood products, vaccines, and life-saving medications are stored at Zipline’s base for just-in-time delivery.
Health workers place orders
Health workers place orders by text message or call and promptly receive their deliveries in 30 minutes on average.
Drones deliver the orders
The drones take off from and land at Zipline’s base, requiring no additional infrastructure or manpower at the clinics they serve.
Each drone can carry 1.8 kilos of cargo
The drones fly autonomously and can carry 1.8 kilos of cargo, cruising at 110km an hour, and have a round trip range of 160km—even in high-speed winds and rain.
Zipline targets to serve 700 million people worldwide
Zipline’s goal is to serve 700 million people in the next five years. It is an automated logistics company based in California.
The staff of the company include seasoned aerospace veterans from teams like SpaceX, Google, Boeing, and NASA—designs and operates an autonomous system for delivering life-saving medicine to the world’s most difficult-to-reach places.
Zipline’s mission is to provide every human on earth with instant access to vital medical supplies.
