Bhubaneswar: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Odisha, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, on Tuesday successfully conducted a trial run of blood bag delivery by drone.
The inaugural trial flight, which started at noon, saw a blood unit from AIIMS-Bhubaneswar being delivered at Community Health Centre (CHC) in Tangi, Khurda, in 37 minutes, covering an aerial distance of around 70 km. It also collected blood samples from the CHC before returning to AIIMS, an official release said.
Necessary permission from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Bhubaneswar was obtained for the trial run.
The drone, weighing 12 kg, can carry a load of medicines, blood units and other essential medical kits ranging from 2 to 5 kg. can travel at a speed of 90 km/hour and can be tracked and operated using GPS.
“AIIMS-Bhubaneswar for the first time conducted delivery of health services via drone as per the directive of the Health Ministry. We are experimenting and examining what services can be delivered using the technology,” said AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Director, Ashutosh Biswas.
He further said that a proposal to deliver emergency drugs and injections via drone is also being considered.
“Drones can be useful in providing better services in emergencies and for disaster management during cyclones and floods as they are not affected by traffic and road conditions. We will be carrying out another trial on a larger scale on January 25 and hope it will be successful as well,” he added.
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