Presidential spokesperson George Charamba has said President Emmerson has delivered more than Zimbabweans asked for after the Government purchased 32 planes from Russia.
Posting on Twitter, Charamba said Government critics demanded that authorities should provide ambulances to public hospitals and air ambulances have been brought. Said Charamba:
You asked for Ambulances, and we delivered Helicopters for more lift power. We have delivered Air Ambulances and emergency rescue helicopters.
We steadfastly deliver on our promises while answering to our people’s needs #EDelivers #EDworks
ZimLive reported that the 32 helicopters were acquired from Russia’s sanctioned state arms company at what appears to be inflated prices.
Eighteen of the helicopters were officially handed over to President Emmerson Mnangagwa at RGM International Airport in Harare on Thursday.
Twelve of the choppers were designated as air ambulances and six were assigned to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
The helicopters were reportedly delivered at a cost of US$10 million each, amid claims that the true value of each plane is US$2.5 million.
The majority of Zimbabweans who responded to Charamba’s tweet expressed outrage over the move.
Reason Mupanga: Airlifting patients to where? And to do what? Kindly start by equipping hospitals with basic medication eg paracetamol!
Tafadzwa Bvupajena: Zimbabwe is SICK & needs urgent help. How are these old madhara’s being allowed to play with Zimbabweans like that? An uprising will [stop] this madness
Futurist: So literally you want to carry people very fast to die in those death traps you call hospitals? There is no medicine there, For cry not loud not even a common wheelchair & a decent hospital bed!!!!
KGM: You know why helicopter ambulances are stupid? There is already a shortage of basic ambulances that are required daily. The remote requirement for a helicopter can always be outsourced to the airforce who only mainly do stunts at the moment. It could be part of their drilling!
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