India harnesses drone technology to bolster healthcare initiatives

From AIIMS Deoghar in Jharkhand to AIIMS Jodhpur in Rajasthan, and AIIMS Rajkot in Gujarat to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Manipur and AIIMS Patna in Bihar, drone technology is being harnessed in a big way by the Government institutions to bolster healthcare initiatives in the country.

The list is long. AIIMS Bhubaneswar in Odisha, AIIHPH Kolkata in West Bengal, the Central Leprosy Teaching & Research Institute Chengalpattu in Tamil Nadu, Regional Leprosy Training & Research Institutes in Bankura, West Bengal too is in the process of leveraging drones as a transformative tool to enhance healthcare accessibility and efficiency across the nation.

Ankit Kumar, Founder & CEO of Skye Air Mobility which has tied up with these institutes for fast delivery of medical services through drones, said, “Drone technology is not merely a technological advancement but also serves as a strategic initiative towards revolutionizing healthcare in India. This is expected to reduce variability, cost and error.

“. … also underscores collaborative efforts for a paradigm shift in healthcare accessibility,” said Kumar.

Similarly, TechEagle, a brainchild of IIT alumni has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by completing one of the longest drone delivery flights in collaboration with AIIMS Rishikesh which successfully transported essential Tuberculosis (TB) medicine under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Yojna.

During its flight from AIIMS Rishikesh to secluded regions like Chamba CHC and Hindolakhal PHC, the drone adeptly navigated through complex terrains and elevations, achieving an impressive altitude gain of over 2.5 kilometers in a single 47 km journey. To put this feat into perspective, the same distance would take more than 4 hours by road.

TechEagle has also announced a partnership with AIIMS Jodhpur to deliver healthcare essentials for the tribal population mostly living in inaccessible terrains.

In a significant trial, TechEagle transported a medical payload of up to five kilogram to rural primary health centres at AIIMS Rajkot and AIIMS Mangalagiri.

” The quick implementation of BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone delivery services in 10 AIIMS & INI’s hospitals ensures improving healthcare logistics with safety and reliability,” TechEagle founder and CEO Vikram Singh Meena said.

Similarly, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has partnered with TSAW Drones, a drone logistics start-up, to deliver vital medical supplies using drones in three areas namely Yaddari Bhuvanagiri district (Telangana), Manipal (Karnataka), and Lahaul (Himachal Pradesh). The aim is to connect various points, such as distribution centres and PHCs, to facilitate the transfer of essential medical supplies, tuberculosis samples, tissue specimens, and diagnostic samples.

Dr. Sumit Aggarwal, Scientist–D and Program Officer at ICMR, had hailed the initiative as a significant step, stating that, “by employing advanced drone technology, we’re not just creating new avenues; we’re dismantling barriers to healthcare access in India’s most remote areas.”

Kishan Tiwari, Founder and CEO of TSAW Drones, expressed confidence in the initiative, noting, “Navigating challenging terrains and reaching high altitudes to assist underserved communities presents a formidable challenge, but we are wholly equipped to handle it.”

It was during the coronavirus pandemic, several government agencies in India tested drones for potential logistical support. ICMR, for instance, had introduced its i-Drone programme to explore the feasibility of using drones to distribute Covid-19 vaccines and medicines in the northeastern region.

In fact, several private entities like Tata 1mg and SRL Diagnostics (now Agilus Diagnostics) are also exploring drone deliveries for diagnostic samples and medications. Tata 1mg, a digital healthcare company, commenced drone deliveries of diagnostic samples and medications in Dehradun two years ago while SRL Diagnostics joined hands with Skye Air in April 2022 to use drones for sample collection and subsequent transportation to laboratories in Gurugram and Mumbai. Daily Pioneer