The Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS) has responded to an urgent request from Mansa General Hospital for the air evacuation of two patients requiring specialised medical care in Lusaka.

The patients, referred from Lubwe and Mwense District Hospital, respectively, required further specialist assessment and management.

The first patient, male, required further endoscopic evaluation and definitive treatment following recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The second patient, a female, required specialist cardiac evaluation after being managed for ischaemic cardiomyopathy complicated by cardiogenic shock and acute coronary syndrome.

The request was made by the Medical Superintendent of Mansa General Hospital, Dr Chipili Mackford, through the Ministry of Health, seeking air transport to facilitate timely access to a higher level of care and specialist interventions following assessment of the patients’ conditions.

For the mission, the ZFDS aircraft was flown by Siphosami Zulu and Elvis Kite, with in-flight medical care provided by Paramedics Suzen Banda and Sophie Shimishi.

Upon arrival in Lusaka at the ZAF Base, Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, the patients were safely handed over to medical teams from the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and the National Heart Hospital, respectively, for continued specialised care and management.

The successful evacuation demonstrates ZFDS’s continued commitment to supporting the Ministry of Health in bridging geographical barriers and ensuring that patients, particularly those in remote and underserved areas, have timely access to specialised medical services.