Ground Breaking Ceremony: C'River Government partners Zipline on Drones delivery service to achieve universal health coverage

  

The Cross River State Government and Zipline, the international drone delivery service that has come to partner with Cross River State Government on the instance of His Excellency Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade to solve a problem around emergency health care as well as health logistics and supply chain all over Cross River State.

The wife of the Governor Her Excellency Dr. Linda Ayade ably represented by honourable Commissioner of Health Dr. Betta Edu made this known today at the groundbreaking ceremony at Ndok community, Ogoja local government area of Cross River State.

" Cross River State has over 426 hard to reach communities, Mountainous areas, very difficult typography and indeed Riverians areas, that people, health workers, logistics carrier find it difficult to get drugs vaccines as well as blood products into this communities".. said Dr. Betta Edu

According to the Commissioner " Imagine living in Ikang community, it takes over 8 hours and you could have a breakdown on the way, communities like Belenge do not even have road were vehicles can go through because is a mountain but people live at the bottom of that mountain but they need to be served, they need the vaccine, they need health care, they need drugs and blood in case of emergency. This is what zipline is here to do, help transform emergency health care and expand access to critical life-saving medication in the state".

Edu noted that partnering with a zipline in 30 minutes or less we believe that we can get blood products, as well as drugs and other commodities down to different health facilities, over 500 in the northern area, Southern, and another 500 within 30 minutes. And it is important to note that during a covid-19 pandemic, zipline would do the big job of helping get vaccines down to the end-users, as quickly as possible.

Commissioner assured Crossriverians that the government is going to fund the services and the impact is that is going to save lives, in their millions, and is going to solve health logistics chain, cost and most importantly is going to make health care services delivery very efficient and above all achieve universal health coverage and this grant access to everyone in Cross River State.

Earlier the Director-General of Primary Health Care Dr. Janet Ekpanyong noted that the primary health care is very excited that through this project they would be able to strengthen the logistics chain and be able to reach various communities in Cross River State.

She added that providing services with zipline would be easier, the service will use drones to deliver vaccines, blood products, and where people live should not determine whether or not to get access to supplies of vaccines and drugs.

Also Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony is the General Manager of Zipline Mrs. Catherine Odiase stated that the decision of this government to resort to the Zipline technology to aid the provision of quality health care for the people of Cross River State will help save lives, decrease waste in the system and increase health care access for millions of people across the state, most especially remote areas that are difficult to reach.

She noted that hopefully within a few months, they would be back for the official commencement of operations.

" From here, we will ensure the delivery of medical commodities, including blood products and Covid-19 vaccines, upon request to any of the hundreds of health facilities served, and this is expected to be done 24 hours around the clock, rain or shine"... Odiase

She concluded by thanking His Excellency for accepting to do the groundbreaking ceremony today, the 12th day of February 2022 and she added that it is only in Cross River State that she saw a real demonstration of interest by the first lady supporting the work wholeheartedly.

The high point of the event was the groundbreaking ceremony and cultural display.