Asamankese (ER), June 19, GNA - A Zipline medical drone on Wednesday airlifted three packets of Hydroxyurea Capsules to a 11-year sickle cell patient, Ohene Kwaku, at the Asamankese Government Hospital to mark this year's Sickle Cell Day.
The medication was transported from Zipline's Centre at Omenako in the Eastern Region around 1020 hours and arrived at the hospital within 25 minutes.
It was the first time in five years little Kwaku and his mother, Madam Ellen Ofori, were spared the hassle of travelling to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for medical check-up and treatment.
Over the past five years, Madam Ofori spent scarce resources transporting her son to Korle-Bu to purchase Hydroxyurea Capsules at the cost of GH¢ 60 per pack every three months.
Little Kwaku was diagnosed of the Sickle Cell disease at the age of three and was receiving treatment at Korle-Bu over the past eight years.
Madam Ofori told journalists at the Asamankese Hospital after the medical drone delivered the medicine that, she was transporting her son four times each year to Korle-Bu for check-up, describing it as a burdensome experience.
She, therefore, expressed gratitude to Novartis and Zipline Ghana Limited for supplying the drugs to her son free of charge, adding that the medicine could last for a year.
The Head of Pharmacy at the Asamankese Hospital, Nii Obodai Mensah, placed the order for the medication at 1015 hours and the drone set off five minutes later and delivered the drugs within 25 minutes.
The Hydroxyurea Capsules is a brand of global pharmaceutical giant, Novartis that is partnering Zipline Ghana Limited and the Sickle Cell Foundation to ensure sickle cell drugs reached the doorsteps of every patient in Ghana.
Mr Daniel Marfo, the General Manager of Zipline Ghana Limited, for his part, said his outfit was working with Novartis and the Sickle Cell Foundation to find ways of easing the plight of Kwaku and other sickle cell patients in the Eastern Region and other parts of the country.
"Today, the boy and his mother do not have to travel to Korle-Bu; they can just pick a car and go to Asamankese," Mr Marfo said.
Professor Kwaku Ohene Frimpong, President of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana, on his part, lauded Novartis for the immense support it rendered to the Foundation and Sickle Cell patients in Ghana.
He said Novartis was supporting the treatment of sickle cell in Ghana since 1995, saying that the Swiss pharmaceutical giant promised to half the price of Hydroxyurea Capsules.
He said about 15,000 babies were born every year with sickle cell, noting that between 50-90 percent of them died before the age of five.
The local theme for this year's Sickle Cell Day celebration is "Blood Is Thicker Than Water".
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in April this year, launched Ghana’s largest medical drone delivery service at Omenako in the Eastern Region, to improve medical delivery service in the country.
The drone medical delivery service is collaboration between Ghana's Ministry of Health and Zipline Technologies.
It is expected to deliver 148 different essential medical supplies and blood products to save lives.
The service would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from four distribution centres and deliver supplies to 2,000 health facilities to serve 12 million people across the country.
GNA
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