The All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Rishikesh on Thursday conducted a trial to test the feasibility of drones supplying medicines to primary health centres or smaller hospitals in cases of emergency. A Vertiplane X3 drone was used to deliver 2kg package of anti-tubercular drugs to a district hospital in Tehri Garhwal during the trial. The aerial distance of nearly 40 kilometres between the helipad at AIIMS and the hospital was covered in 30 minutes. The project will calculate the cost of effectiveness of delivering not only medicines but sputum samples to laboratories to support the country’s programme to eliminate TB by 2025. Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, “A successful trial of drones delivering medicine was carried out today. Delivery with drones will be especially helpful in hilly areas where a distance of 40 kilometers would have taken 2 hours.” In future, the technology might also be used to transport organs between hospitals with time being of essence in such cases, he said. Mandaviya added that a similar trial will also be carried out to transport supplies between AIIMS-Delhi and the National Cancer Centre associated with it located almost 50 km away in Jhajjar. “Several obstacles such as poor transportation networks, hilly terrain, traffic natural disasters affected regions, and harsh weather conditions severely affect the timely delivery of anti-tubercular medications. In addition to this, unforeseen delays in transporting sputum samples to the laboratory cause delays in treatment. Considering these challenges, it is essential to explore an effective delivery system to assist the current supply chain mechanism,” said a report from the institute. The drone used in Rishikesh on Thursday, equipped to carry 4kgs in a radius of 50 kilometers and manufactured by TechEagle Innovations, has also been used by the government of Meghalaya to transport medicines, with a drone station being set up in Jengjal. This is not the first time a drone has been used to transport medical supplies. In fact, in a pilot project led by the Indian Council of Medical Research, Covid-19 vaccines were delivered using a drone in Manipur. Another pilot was carried out by a Bangalore based startup in Arunachal Pradesh to deliver medicines. Other than that, there are e-pharmacies that have also introduced drone delivery.
