Zimbabwe’s Helidrive National Air Rescue Service has announced plans to open a new base at Victoria Falls next month
The announcement was made by Dr Rudo Gumbo, a spokesperson for Helidrive, at this year’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo last week.
Dr Gumbo also confirmed that plans for further bases were already underway, with the aim of ultimately making Helidrive a nationwide service. Sites of future bases include Masvingo, Mutare, Kariba, and Buffalo Range.
The service is also currently working to establish a national call center to facilitate access to the service.
The service, which was established by the Zimbabwean government with the aim of addressing the country’s medical evacuation challenges, previously opened its first base in Harare in July 2024, and its second in Bulawayo in December of that year.
Since the launch of operations, Helidrive has now served over 450 patients, including 150 neonatal patients aged under 28 days.
The establishment of the service was facilitated by a delivery of 18 Rostec helicopters in 2023.
