26/08/2021
Dear All and Dumela from Maun,
Sorry, we never communicate much and in the last 18 months we communicated even less than usual. Despite a lot of work, we simply did not have much fun to report, hence our silence. Anyway, during this time we flew around 700 covid patients on behalf of the Government within Botswana and a number expatriates and tourists to South Africa.
Within our clinic we had over 200 covid patients and we managed to cure them all without referring any to higher care, which left us with some question marks about the whole situation. We had a couple of patients who during the process of getting the upper hand with covid, suddenly had complications with new, additional infections and those we had to refer.
Our biggest challenge were those who presented after effects from the vaccine and in this group we lost two patients, of which one was our own nurse Rachel, who had decided to vaccinate and developed symptoms within days, including thrombosis and myocarditis. We did all we possibly could and Rachel passed away at the Bokamosso Private Hospital in Gaborone 14 days later. Rachel was, besides being a lovely person, 24 years young, dynamic and healthy, her premature departure did leave us all with many more questions about the events we are witnessing. The most astonishing turn of events was that we had to come and accept that “Google” was the better doctor than all in our team and much to their detriment, people who came to ask for advice, had usually already made up their minds and did not follow well founded and researched recommendations.
As the tourists were missing, very little happened on that front, but we did have a few incidences with animals within the local population and various research teams that were still operating in the Delta. The most notable were a buffalo attack, two lion attacks and several Elephant attacks, of which the latest is still in hospital in Johannesburg, giving a very brave fight for his life and appears to be winning!
However, it was a happy event that enticed us to be posting today: Back in 2019 Oris the Swiss Watch Maker approached us with the idea to make an Okavango Air Rescue collectors watch for our 10th anniversary which would be in 2021. Oris is known for its top precision watches and in our circle the most well know will be the “Oris Pilot’s Watch”. They theme their limited edition watches with projects and companies that also cater for the greater wellbeing of mankind and the environment and within medical air rescue, Oris has already made a watch with the Swiss Air Rescue company “Rega” who is our idol, as well as with the “Royal Flying Doctors” of Australia.
With the onset of covid, we had assumed that the project had been shelved, but this was not the case. Oris developed, designed, produced and then manufactured. In August this year, on our 10th birthday, the Okavango Air Rescue limited edition watch was launched and we have appended the brochure of the same here below.
We wish you all better times and a future that makes sense, your
Okavango Air Rescue Team.
