Drones - Providing Succour By UAVs

Drone technology has ceased to be just a mere fanciful and impractical aspect of Hollywood blockbusters, making headway into almost every aspect of modern industries and services. Naturally, healthcare isn’t far behind in leveraging this nifty and reliable tech to its advantage. Let’s see how deep has been the penetration of this aerial supply chain wonder gadget.

- Sanjiv Das

Drones also referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), are slowly making their presence felt in the healthcare sector. Gone are the days when sending emergency life-saving medicines to the remotest part of the country was unthinkable and would take days to reach.

With the advent of drone technology and healthcare and medtech companies adopting it in a new way plus the government’s push, has opened a new era for drones in the health sector.

The usage of drones in the healthcare industry is becoming a new norm that is set to bring in a revolution in the sector. The drone technology in healthcare, previously envisioned for aerial and military use, is touted to become the future of healthcare. With the advent of drones, it is possible to deliver blood, vaccines, birth control, snake bite serum and other medical supplies to rural areas, where it can reach the victims who require immediate medical attention within minutes. The need for drones was more relevant when COVID-19 vaccines were transported to remote corners during the pandemic.

According to Rashmi Pimpale, CEO, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH), many countries have recognised the potential and have already begun implementing drone technology in the healthcare space. For instance, Rescue Robotics, a mission to deliver medical supplies to remote areas in Rwanda and Ghana, and the Maryland kidney delivery for transplant were successful missions proving the usefulness of drones.

APAC and global drone market