Air ambulance launched in Dar es Salaam

By ABDULWAKIL SAIBOKO, 

AIR ambulance service for patients seeking to be air-lifted to hospitals or clinics outside the country was launched in Dar es Salaamon Tuesday.

The Dassault Falcon 20 Aircraft was introduced by the Africa Medical Investment (AMI) Aviation Services at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA).

It has the capacity of carrying two patients and offers Intensive Care Unit (ICU) services on board.

The AMI Aviation Services General Manager, Mr Hennie Joubert, told a news conference at JNIA that the aircraft provided space for two patients and one family each who would accompanying them.

''AMI's service is available for 24 hours throughout the year. The air ambulance market is rapidly gaining favour in the modern age of technology and transport.

"Individuals who seek good quality medical services can be easily air-lifted to places of their choice," he said.

The Clinic Governance Manager of another South African company-the ER24 Emergency Medical Care and Response Services, Ms Jill Lithgow whose company works in collaboration with AMI said that the costs of offering such service were designed to suit needs of middle and high income earners.

''We do provide good value for money and affordable air medical services to upper and middle income earners," she said.

The AMI Dar es Salaam Hospital Manager, Dr Zahir Alavi, noted that the service is the first of its kind in the country.

''This will provide continuity of care for patients from Tanzania to anywhere in the world," he said.

Dr Alavi said AMI has so far opened its services in Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. He said services would also be extended to Ethiopia, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) within the next two years.