By Kelvin Obambon
Mr Augustine Okutu, the Community Health Officer in Ijiraga Community Primary Healthcare Centre, Yala Local Government Area has disclosed that the use of drone technology was bridging vaccination gap in rural Cross River.
Okutu stated this on Monday during a visit by journalists to the facility to ascertain the effectiveness of the use of drones powered by Zipline to enhance provision of vaccines, drugs and other medical consumables in rural areas.
Zipline is one of the world’s largest autonomous delivery system, specializing in on-demand drone delivery. It partnered with the government of Cross River with its facility in Nduk in Ogoja LGA to support the government in delivering on its mandate of providing access to healthcare to rural dwellers.
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According to the community health officer, the drone system has helped them to reduce their preaching of the importance of vaccination and immunisation in rural areas.
“The dramatic way in which the drones drop the vaccines from the sky is a source of advert for us; the people believe the vaccines and drugs dropping from the sky are more sophisticated.
“Now, there is an increased demand for immunisation and vaccination with the vaccines that dropped from the drones and not the ones from our cold chain stores.
Speaking further, Okutu said the drone technology has saved them the cost of moving out of the health facility to look for drugs and other medical needs.
He said the people believe that the items delivered by the drones were from trusted sources noting that the acquisition of fake or expired drugs was eliminated.
Similarly, Mr Raphael Obok, Focal Person for the Primary Healthcare Centre in Nfuma, Yala LGA said the response for vaccination has increased as people now come on their own to be vaccinated.
“We no longer travel to get or store drugs and vaccines but from the comfort of our facility we just call or text Zipline and in a matter of minutes, we get what we need through a drone delivery.
“The drone technology has come as a fulfillment of all the parameters of primary healthcare which include, affordability, availability and accessibility,” he said.
Earlier, in an interview with Dr. Henry Ayuk, Cross River’s Commissioner for Health, he said what Zipline was doing in the state was commendable and a fulcrum of healthcare delivery.
He added that the state was consolidating plans to ensure that there was another Zipline facility in Akamkpa, Local Government Area that would service the Southern Senatorial District of the state.