Breaking News – Tanzania gets Dar es Salaam based ‘medivac service’

TANZANIA GETS AIR AMBULANCE

In a ground breaking development was Tanzania’s first ever fully equipped air ambulance service launched. A French built Dassault Falcon aircraft, converted into an airborne medical centre and ICU, was commissioned by the owners African Medical Investments from South Africa. The ‘medivac’ option will initially be extended to Tanzania’s international airports and domestic aerodromes capable of receiving such an aircraft, but it is understood that requests for evacuations from the entire East African region would be handled, subject to availability. The rescued patients will then be flown to South Africa for treatment in a state of the art hospital, details of which together with an exact location were not available by the time of going to press.

Previously it was mainly the Wilson Airport (Nairobi) based Flying Doctor service or privately operated air ambulances from Kenya which could be called to come to the assistance of critically ill or seriously injured people and in fact many safari clients habitually take out seasonal or ‘temporary’ membership at the Flying Doctors or else are covered for airlifts by their respective travel insurance companies.

The addition of the locally based service however will add an important ingredient to the list to be ticked by prospective travellers to Tanzania, who can now be assured of an in-country medivac service at their disposal.

Well done and happy landings.