On Tuesday we had the opportunity to meet the CEO of the Zambia Flying Doctor Service. This is a grant aided service for providing health services to remote hard to reach areas and other places within Zambia. The aim is to contribute to the improvement of the wellbeing of the people of Zambia. This includes maternal and neonatal health, which is obviously my speciality and why Abbie and I are here in Zambia.

We had a very good talk with the CEO about what they do, what help they need and how we can be a part of the team. We were shown around the hanger where they currently have 2 fixed wing, which can be used for transporting staff as well as patients. They are looking into having 2 helicopters as even the fixed wing struggle to land in certain areas, especially in the rainy season. I am hoping I can help find funding or raise money to help with this. They also took us to two static health clinics that provide paying patients with healthcare access, such as investigations, surgery and seeing a clinician. The money made in these clinics is then put back into the company to help pay for outreach projects to vulnerable people in remote parts of Zambia. This is an amazing idea and the clinics looked great, with renovations starting to add more facilities.

I am really hoping to get more involved with this, and hopefully go on some of the outreaches during my time in Zambia.