13/09/2026
URGENT AIR EVACUATION SAVES PATIENT AFTER SPINAL INJURY ⭐️
A 35-year-old man is receiving specialised care at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka following an urgent medical air evacuation from Mansa General Hospital.
The patient was admitted to Mansa General Hospital after falling from a height and sustaining blunt trauma to his back. Medical assessment revealed a compression fracture with an associated spinal cord injury.
Although he remained neurologically stable, with preserved sensory and motor function, doctors cautioned that any delay in accessing specialised spinal care could increase the risk of further neurological damage and long-term disability.
Following a formal request from Dr Mwenya Tazrussell, on behalf of the Medical Superintendent, and authorisation by the Ministry of Health, the Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS) was tasked with carrying out the emergency medical evacuation to bring the patient to UTH for specialised neurosurgical and orthopaedic spine services.
The late-afternoon mission was conducted aboard a ZFDS King Air Beechcraft B200, flown by Captain Patrick Kawanu and Captain Siposami Zulu, with Paramedics Susan Banda and Hildah Chiwaya providing specialised in-flight medical care.
ZFDS continues to bridge the gap between patients and specialised healthcare services across the Country bringing critical care closer to those who need it, wherever they are, when every minute matters.