Ola Orekunrin

The flying Doctor Ola Orekunrin is the Nigerian wonder woman, she is the founder and Managing Director of Flying Doctors of Nigeria; a charity based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Early Life

The 29 years old Ola Orekunrin is a British-Nigerian, she was born by Nigerian parents in London, England and she grew up under the care of foster white parents in a seaside town; Lowestoft in the east of rural England. She is very fond of her foster mother Dowen, who she describes as one of the most influential people in her life without a doubt.

She is a great, spiritual wise woman, who taught me so many valuable skills. I still think over some of the things that she told me when I was a child; it’s all finally beginning to make sense.

Education

Ola Orekunrin attended a primary school that was run by Catholic nuns. She started her degree at the age of 15 at the Hull York Medical School. While studying, she supported herself by working in retail, modeling and admin because her foster parents, though working class does not have enough money. She graduated from the University of York at the age of 21, as one of the youngest medical doctors in the United Kingdom.

Medical Career

After graduation, Ola worked for some years as a helicopter pilot with specialized training in aviation medicine with the National Health Service, United Kingdom. She pioneered the first air operated Emergency medical services in Lagos, Nigeria; Flying Doctors Nigeria Ltd.

Ola Orekunrin was motivated to start the charity after experiencing the loss of her sister under difficult circumstances; her younger sister died of sickle cell anemia.

“She was always in and out of hospitals but eventually died for lack of the availability of air ambulance. This more or less propelled my interest in medicine because I really wanted to make a difference in the same way doctors had done to her. Setting up the company was a direct result of my fascination for helicopters, trauma medicine, motor accident kinematics and pre-hospital medicine. I knew it was something that I had the skills and experience to do,” she reminisces

Flying Doctors Nigeria was established in 2007; it basically provides critical care transportation solutions to both the private and public sector by selling yearly air ambulance cover plans to states, companies and individuals.

The first time an air ambulance service was suggested for Nigeria was in 1960 and nothing was done about that idea. Due to Ola Orekunrin’s passion to help improve the health care system in Nigeria, she studied models in Kenya, Libya, Uganda and India and was even more determined to bring a similar service to Nigeria.

Flying Doctors Nigeria is completely physician-led and adheres to the highest standards of medical practice supported by the East Anglian Air Ambulance in the United Kingdom. And their mission is:

 To provide the best possible standard of health care to all.

Challenges

Ola Orekunrin route to success was not smooth. She took a blind leap when she decided to set her dreams in Nigeria. She had to quit her job in the UK, bury her aspirations for the position of the president of the British Medical Association and minister for the conservative party, she also sold her car and sacrificed a lot more things.

When she came to Nigeria, she faced several difficulties, she spent hours sometimes waiting in an office only to be told to come back the next day and then be turned down, many people rejected her proposal but she still kept pushing. At one point, she was robbed of all she had but still she persevered.

In an interview with Punch, Ola Orekunrin said:

“In all of these, I was able to learn a great lesson. When you need something, people tend to avoid you but when you don’t need anything and seem to be making profit, they tend to become your best friend. The attitude towards me has changed immensely.”

Awards

Ola Orekunrin’s Flying Doctors project has been a huge success and it has improved Nigeria’s health care system. She has claimed several awards for her work in research and clinical evidence; Ola Orekunrin received Thisday award in 2012, she was listed among Young Global leaders by World Economic Forum in 2013. Ola Orekunrin is also a member of both the American Academy of Aesthetic Surgeons and the British Medical Association.

“I used to think people who win these kinds of awards were politicians or people with the right pedigree so it came as a shock to me. I feel really humbled and overwhelmed and it will simply propel me to do more.”

Ola Orekunrin is definitely Nigeria’s wonder woman, she have so much love for her country and will fly to anywhere to rescue people.

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