Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer, has shared that his father’s death in 2002 profoundly influenced the creation of Ghana’s medical drone delivery service.

His father, who passed away following surgery in Tamale, faced critical delays in obtaining blood, which spurred Bawumia to address the issue.In his recent campaign stop in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency, Bawumia highlighted how his father’s experience underscored the need for timely medical deliveries.He revealed that the drone initiative was developed to prevent such delays and ensure quick access to essential medical supplies.Bawumia described the tragic event that led him to seek out innovative solutions.His efforts led to the establishment of six drone hubs across Ghana, in partnership with the Zipline company.These drones now deliver blood, medications, and vaccines to over 2,700 healthcare facilities nationwide, having completed 540,000 flights to date.“We brought drones into Ghana to deliver medicines, vaccines, and blood. Many people were dying needlessly because they could not get medicine on time. A snake can bite you on the farm and you need medicine, and anti-snake serum immediately. A mother can be giving birth in the village and needs blood immediately.“In 2002, my father had an operation in Tamale and was losing blood. We were looking for blood, but the blood bank was locked.“We tried to find the operator but couldn’t find him. So when I heard about drones and Zipline and what they could do in delivering blood, I took my team and went to San Francisco.“We met the Zipline company and convinced them to come to Ghana and set up six drone centres in Ghana. We have six drone centres which are delivering blood, medicines, and vaccines to 2,700 hospitals and health centres in Ghana. Every day we are saving lives. So far, the drones have flown 540,000 flights,” he stated.