Giraffes and Zebras on the Runway: the AMREF Flying Doctors (AFD) of Africa

Abstract

In remote regions of Kenya, access to healthcare remains a persistent challenge, exacerbated by vast distances, rough terrain, and inadequate infrastructure. Amidst these obstacles, the AMREF Flying Doctors (AFD) based in Nairobi at Wilson Airport emerge embodying the spirit of medical outreach and innovation. Founded with the mission to provide timely medical assistance to underserved communities, this esteemed organization utilizes air transport to bridge the geographical barriers that often impede access to essential healthcare services.Since its inception, the Flying Doctors of Nairobi have played a pivotal role in delivering emergency medical care, conducting evacuations, and facilitating medical outreach programs across Kenya, Africa and the world. Operating with precision and efficiency, their fleet of aircraft is able to respond to emergencies, delivering medical teams and supplies to remote areas with the necessary celerity and exactness.Providing timely medical assistance, emergency evacuations, and specialized care to areas inaccessible by conventional means the service operates through a network of dedicated medical professionals, aviation experts, and technological infrastructure, ensuring rapid response and efficient delivery of medical services.This article follows a volunteer doctor and the author on the exciting journey to the Flying Doctors of Africa, based at Wilson Airport/Nairobi who reach out to a patient in medical needs from a rural airstrip within the Maasai Mara on which wild animals roam to medical evacuations which can span the entire globe.