Page 24 - ITLN-September-October-2024-Issue-for-Website

Special Report
Drones in
healthcare logistics

How Drones in India

are Revolutionising

Healthcare Logistics

As the technology continues to evolve and regulatory
frameworks adapt, the future of drone-powered healthcare
logistics in India looks increasingly bright.

Nehal Gautam

cross India's vast and
diverse landscape, delivering
healthcare to remote and
Aunderserved areas has long
been a daunting challenge. Now, a
new ally has emerged in this mission:
drones. These unmanned aerial
vehicles are revolutionising healthcare
logistics, swiftly transporting medical
supplies, samples, and emergency aid
to hard-to-reach communities. and challenging
Leading Indian drone companies terrain. In states
have been at the forefront of this like Telangana and
transformative shift, adapting their Arunachal Pradesh,
technology to navigate the country's various drone companies
unique geographical and climatic Similarly, Rishabh Gupta, Co-founder have demonstrated
conditions. Ankit Kumar, Founder and of Redwing Labs, highlighted their the potential of drones
CEO of Skye Air Mobility, explained approach to tackling India's diverse to rapidly transport vital
how his company has tailored its terrains and weather conditions, stating, medicines, vaccines, and
solutions to address the complexities "Our hybrid vertical take-off and landing diagnostic samples to
of India's airspace and diverse weather (VTOL) drones, tailored for the diverse remote communities.
conditions: "To address the complexity terrains of India, are equipped with One such initiative is the
of India's airspace, we have integrated features like dual GPS, dual airspeed World Economic Forum's Medicine
advanced Skye UTM (Unmanned Traffic sensors, and split control surfaces to from the Sky project, launched in 2019.
Management) systems, which enable handle varying weather conditions and This initiative is focussing on delivering
precise navigation and coordination complex geographical terrains. We vaccines, diagnostic samples, and
with Ground Control Station (GCS) and have also integrated a modular payload medicine to remote areas using drones.
drones, reducing the risk of airspace system for temperature-sensitive The project's first phase was launched
conflicts by approximately 80%. Our medical supplies, which is crucial in in Telangana, where over 300 drone-
drones are equipped with weather- regions with extreme climates." enabled vaccine delivery trials were
resistant materials and technology, successfully completed, establishing it
allowing them to withstand the high Drones: India’s new healthcare allies as a pioneering effort in Asia.
humidity of Tamil Nadu and the arid The impact of these drone-based Building on this success, the
heat of Rajasthan, maintaining around healthcare delivery systems has initiative expanded to the more
95% operational efficiency across been profound, particularly in areas challenging landscapes of Arunachal
different climates." with limited road infrastructure Pradesh. This phase stress-tested
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