A 21-year-old man from Livingstone who was left critically injured with a broken neck after a road traffic accident has been flown to Lusaka for urgent neurosurgical treatment.
The young man, whose name has been withheld, had been battling for his life at Livingstone General Hospital after sustaining a severe cervical spine injury in a recent accident.
Doctors at the facility said his condition was too fragile for a road transfer, with every movement posing the risk of permanent paralysis or death.
Medical Superintendent at Livingstone General Hospital, Dr Kor Chiyenu, said the patient needed advanced care that was not available in the region.
It was this critical state that prompted hospital officials to escalate the case to the Ministry of Health.
In response, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Dr Kennedy Lishimpi, authorised an emergency air evacuation to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.
The Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS) dispatched aircraft 9J-AGC from Ndola at 13:03 hours yesterday, carrying a team of paramedics.
The aircraft landed in Livingstone at 15:11 hours where the patient was safely picked up and flown out at 16:05 hours.
By 17:35 hours, the aircraft touched down at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport’s ZAF wing in Lusaka.
A waiting UTH team quickly transported the patient to the specialist facility, where he is now undergoing intensive neurosurgical care.
The Ministry of Health has reaffirmed its commitment to timely emergency interventions to preserve life, especially in critical trauma cases like this.
By George Musonda
Kalemba August 4, 2025
