Flying Doctors Founder Bags Aviation Award

L-R: Nigeria Aviation Awards (NIGAV) Chairman, Mr  Fortune Idu; Flying Doctors Nigeria Founder, Dr Ola Brown  and  Finland’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury  after  Brown  received  2017 Aviation Most Remarkable Medical Personality Award from NIGAV in Lagos.

The aviation industry watchdog, Nigeria Aviation Awards (NIGAV), has bestowed 2017 Aviation Most Remarkable Medical Personality Award on Flying Doctors Nigeria Founder, Dr Ola Brown.

NIGAV is a prestigious annual award conferred on outstanding individuals and corporate bodies who have distinguished themselves in the Nigerian aviation sector.

The 2017 award, which was bestowed on Brown by NIGAV this year, is a recognition of Flying Doctors Nigeria’s role in saving lives during critical and emergency situations in sub-Sahara Africa.

Receiving the award in Lagos, Brown stated that she is grateful for the recognition, adding that the award will propel her to use Flying Doctors Nigeria as a platform to rescuing more lives during critical times.

Finland’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury (L) and Flying Doctors Nigeria Founder, Dr Ola Brown during the 2017 Aviation Most Remarkable Medical Personality Award to Brown by the Nigeria Aviation Awards (NIGAV) in Lagos.

“I am highly elated by this award,” Brown said. “As physicians, we at Flying Doctors Nigeria are using a combination of medicine and aviation to get patients who live in West African sub-region to the right medical facilities at the right time frame. This award further shows that our activities are not unnoticed by aviation watchers. It is a clarion call for at Flying Doctors Nigeria is to more,” she concluded.

Brown noted that there is a need to render prompt medical services to people in need, to save the lives of over 1 billion people who lose their lives globally due to lack of timely medical interventions.

Flying Doctors Nigeria is West Africa’s first and leading indigenous air ambulance service organisation, which transport patients across the region in medically equipped aircrafts for quick medical care.

Flying Doctors air ambulance has transferred several patients from all over West and Central Africa for rapid specialist care.

Founded about a decade ago, the organisation also renders remote site medical solutions, medical infrastructural development and training services to corporate bodies and agencies.

Acknowledging the vital roles being played by Flying Doctors Nigeria in emergency rescuing operations in Nigeria and beyond, organisers of the award stated that the importance of emergency rescue services in aviation industry cannot be overemphasised, as it is critical towards optimal development in the industry. 

The prompt medical service being rendered by Flying Doctors Nigeria has variously been applauded by various experts, because it is seen as a big strategy in curbing unnecessary deaths during emergency situations.

Other awards won by Flying Doctors Nigeria and Brown in the past include Mouldbreaker’s Award, ThisDay Award, The Future Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Ladybrille Personality of the Month Award and Vanguard WOW Award. She is also a TED fellow and has been honoured by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

Some other NIGAV awardees include Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Barrister Chike Ogeah of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, New Telegraph Aviation Editor, Mr. Wole Shadare, among others.