Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has revealed that Zimbabwe’s air ambulance service has already saved hundreds of lives, even as the government battles operational challenges, including a lack of local pilots.

Addressing Parliament recently, Mombeshora said the government’s air evacuation programme had airlifted hundreds of critically ill patients to major referral hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo since its launch.

“To date, 345 patients have been flown to the Harare base at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, while 66 patients were evacuated to the Bulawayo base at the United Bulawayo Hospitals,” he said. “These cases have included maternity complications, premature births, and other critical emergencies. Many lives have been saved.”

He added that plans were underway to expand the service by positioning more air ambulances in strategic regional centres such as Victoria Falls, Mutare, and Masvingo.

However, the health minister admitted that a shortage of pilots was hindering full operational capacity.

“There are currently no pilots for the helicopters,” Mombeshora said, highlighting the complexity and expertise required to operate the air ambulances.

“The air ambulance assets—namely the helicopters—are wholly owned by the government of Zimbabwe. Operating these aircraft requires highly technical expertise, including checks by IATA-certified engineering technicians before and after each flight.”

To address the shortfall, the government recently signed a contract with aviation firm Game Drive to provide certified pilots and technical staff. The company will also train Zimbabwean personnel to eventually take over operations from foreign experts, primarily Russian nationals who had been manning the programme.

“The objective is to ensure sustainability and build our own local capacity,” said Mombeshora.

The air ambulance service was introduced as part of broader efforts to improve emergency medical care and reduce preventable deaths, especially in rural and remote parts of the country where ground ambulance services are often limited.