What do you do when you need something so badly that it costs you the life of a loved one?
Most people groan, complain and blame the government.
But entrepreneurs look for ways to fix the problem.
That’s exactly what this inspiring young entrepreneur did about 10 years ago.
Nigeria’s Ola Orekunrin Brown, 32, is an entrepreneur, a medical doctor, a trainee pilot, and the founder of Flying Doctors, West Africa’s first indigenous air ambulance service.
She decided to start the company while at medical school, after her younger sister died because she couldn’t get to hospital in time.
Her long-term dream is to have an Africa where nobody dies because they’re at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The industry for medical emergency services in Africa is still very young. At the moment, it’s largely made up of road ambulance services.
But as the continent’s cities continue to grow, and road traffic conditions worsen, the demand for air ambulance services will very likely increase.
Young African entrepreneurs like Ola are building indigenous companies to take care of these needs in a hugely untapped market.
Ola currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria where she is considered a national expert on disaster medicine and pre-hospital care. Her company has been featured on various local TV and radio stations as well as the BBC and CNN.
We need more like her.
Let’s go, Africa!