Ola Orekunrin

Nigerian physician and founder of Africa's first emergency helicopter ambulance service

Ola Orekunrin (b.1988) is a trailblazing medical innovator from Nigeria who founded Flying Angel, the first emergency helicopter ambulance service in West Africa. After witnessing the death of her 12-year-old sister from malaria complications due to delayed medical transport in Nigeria, she dedicated her career to improving emergency care in Africa. In 2020, she launched Flying Angel with a fleet of helicopters and ambulances providing rapid response to critical medical cases across six African countries.

Orekinrin's service has transported over 10,000 patients in its first three years, reducing mortality rates in emergency cases by an estimated 40%. Her model combines cutting-edge medical technology with local partnerships - each helicopter carries a fully equipped ICU unit staffed by African medical teams. She pioneered mobile app-based emergency coordination systems tailored for low-connectivity regions.

A medical doctor and MBA graduate from Harvard, Orekunrin has expanded her operations to include a training academy producing 300 emergency care professionals annually. Her TED Talk How We Brought Emergency Care to West Africa highlights systemic challenges in African healthcare infrastructure. In 2023, she launched the African Emergency Medicine Journal to share best practices across the continent.

Orekinrin's work has been recognized by the World Health Organization's Global Innovator Award (2021) and Africa's Most Influential Woman in Tech (2022). Her vision includes creating a continent-wide emergency care network using drones and telemedicine for remote areas. She advocates for policy changes to integrate emergency care into national healthcare systems across Africa.