A local aviation company has launched an air emergency medical evacuation service targeting tourists, a move that will boost Rwanda’stourism sector.
Akagera Aviation
Akagera Aviation said the service would provide rapid
response rescue and medical care to subscribing tourists, who may experience a
serious health problem while in the country.
This development will not only boost the tourism and hospitality
sectors, but will also enhance the healthcare system in country, sector players
predicted.
“The air ambulance service will cater for tourists in cases
of medical emergencies, where evacuation via ground ambulance is not possible,”
Bonita Mutoni, the Akagera Aviation commercial manager, said at the launch of
the initiative at Mille Collines Hotel in Kiyovu, Kigali on Monday. The airline has partnered with King Faisal
Hospital, the Rwanda Tour and Travel Association and the Rwanda Development
Bank to offer the service.
Tourism is currently the country’s biggest foreign exchange
earner, having generated $232m (about Rwf153.1b) by October 2012 compared to
$204m over the same period in 2011. The government is working on various ways
that could help Rwanda become the top tourist destination in the region.
The government has, for example, carried out a customer care
awareness campaign to improve service delivery in the services sector. It is
also working on a plan that will expand the medical and cultural tourism
sub-sectors.
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