Bhubaneswar: In a development that could be a boon in timely healthcare in emergencies, AIIMS Bhubaneswar conducted a successful trial of drone healthcare service, the first of its kind in Odisha.

The trial run, in which the drone carried blood units from AIIMS Bhubaneswar to the community health centre at Tangi in Khurdha, was carried out by executive director Dr Ashutosh Biswas and his team who termed the experiment as successful.

Official sources said the drone completed the successful journey of 120 km from AIIMS Bhubaneswar to CHC Tangi in just 1.10 hours, carrying the essential blood supplies weighing around 2kg, without encountering any operational issues. It has the capacity to carry upto 5 kg and can travel upto 160 km. This is according to an initiative by the PMSSY under MoHFW to enhance the accessibility of healthcare services for people residing in difficult to reach areas like; remote geographical terrains or flooded areas.

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Addressing mediapersons, Dr Biswas reiterated the commitment of the national institute to develop a model to integrate the technology into the healthcare system as a supplement to existing logistics methods and suggest ways for the long-term sustainability of drone-based delivery of medical supplies. "This is the first time AIIMS Bhubaneswar carried out an experimental drone service and was successful. The success has encouraged us to explore ways in which drone service can benefit the healthcare sector, This could be particularly helpful in disaster management like cyclones and floods during which delivery of medical essentials via road transport may not be feasible in remote areas or during emergencies where blood units may be required in critical cases. This is first of its kind drone healthcare service in Odisha where delivery of drugs or blood or other medical needs can be made available on time. We are carrying out another trial on a larger scale on January 25 and hope it will be successful as well," he said.

Induction of drone delivery can boost the healthcare services in rural, tribal, and semi-urban locations. These drones can carry multiple health products including vaccines, essential drugs and diagnostic samples. AIIMS Bhubaneswar, as a leading tertiary healthcare provider has created this opportunity for the people of Odisha, Dr Biswas added.
Drone service can play a pivotal role during any natural disasters, overcoming geographical barriers and ensuring timely delivery of critical medical supplies to remote areas like emergency medicine, blood samples, blood products, etc.

Among others Dr. Sonu H Subba, Dr. Priyamadhaba Behera, Dr. Abhishek Mishra, Dr. Satyaprakash, Dr. Anshuman Sahu, DDA(I/c)) Rasmiranjan Sethy were present during the trial.