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Drone delivery services ready to starts officially in Asante Mampong

Finally government initiative of delivering medical supplies to hospitals through drones across the country has reached Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

Date Created : 9/17/2019 7:04:56 AM : Story Author : Emmanuel Wiafe-Boateng/Ghanadistricts.com

Zipline, the San Francisco- based UAV manufacturer and logistics services provider, who has been given the contract by the government to supply essential medicines to hospitals through drones around the country where medical vans cannot reach on time helda meeting on Monday 16th September, 2019 with the Municipal Chief Executive of the Mampong Municipal Assembly, Mr Thomas AppiahKubi and some officers of the Assembly about their operations in the municipality.

Zipline has built a facility in the municipality and is ready to providing fast delivery of medicines to health facilities to ensure quality health care services and improve the health needs of the people. Testing has been done successfully and all other things are being fashioned out to ensure that the official launch and start of the programme in the area.

According to the Facilities Lead of Zipline Ghana, Abdul–Latif Abdul – Raham, the purpose of the meeting was to let the municipality know officially that they are in town and also observe protocols. “The police needs to know that Zipline Company is in the municipality, because in our operation or movement we will come across them”, he added. “Also for security andto prevent unscrupulous persons from impersonating us, as happened for an example in Sefwi-Bekwaiwhere aman imposed himself as our worker who has been sent to recruit personnel which was not so, he underscored.

He disclosed that, the company will be liaising with the Information Services Department (ISD), when it comes to disseminating of information to the public. With the help of the information van, we will move around every town in the municipality to announce our operation to the people. They will also connect us with the various information centers in the municipality and inform us the appropriate time to communicate with the people in the community and we will also give the information centers audio recordings in the form of jingles to be playing anytime.He also said that we will also have interpersonal interaction with the people to explain more on our operations.

He further went on to say that, when it comes to the protocol of Fire Service, they will receive training on safety protocols and how to fire the drones.He added that the responsibility of the Assembly is to give clearance on how to communicate with the people, where to go and not to go, and what time to go out and not to go out.

Explaining how they will fly the drone without interrupting with the movement of an airplane, Mr. Latif said that, the Ghana Aviation Services(GAS) will monitor their operations everywhere, adding that they will tell them if the time a drone is being flown is appropriate or not, they will tell them the right locations to fly the drone and if an airplane is in movement the time a drone is also flying, they have a direct phone with the GAS where they can call them immediately to inform them to stop the drone.

He disclosed that the Ghana Aviation Service will be at the Municipality on the 24th and 25th of September, 2019 to check where their facility is before the operation is launched.

On his part, the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Thomas AppiahKubi assured the team of the assembly’s commitment to support the company to ensure that the successful operations of the Zipline’s activities in the municipality.

The Municipal Fire Commander, ADOI P.S.Avevor said he has checked every facility of the Zipline company to ensure compliance of fire safety measures, and the drones have been tested on ground and the land for operation has been surveyed. He disclosed that, plans have being made to clear the bush where the facility has been built, to avoid any fire outbreak around it when we get to the dry season.

Present at the meeting included theMunicipal Information Officer, Mr. Emmanuel AkwasiWiafe-Boateng, Municipal Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Stephen Boadu,Municipal Crime Officer, Superintendent James Nyadavor andthe Municipal Administrator, Mr. JonathanOkyere