KOZHIKODE: Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane. It’s a drone carrying blood to a hospital.
Kozhikode will become the launchpad of an important technological advancement in the state’s healthcare sector — the use of drones for faster delivery of essential items, especially medicines and blood samples, to hospitals.
Aster MIMS Hospital in Kozhikode has become the first hospital in the state to introduce the facility. Aster has partnered with Skye Air, which is using its flagship product ‘Skye Ship One’, to introduce drone technology. The partnership is expected to overcome the logistical barriers while reducing turnaround time.
Following the successful completion of five days of trials, Skye Air said it aims to undertake approximately 50 flights, each carrying blood samples and medicines, for the hospital soon. Aster Kerala regional director Farhan Yasin said in the first phase, a drone connection was established between two institutions under Aster in Kozhikode and Azheekode in Malappuram. “The mission was successful,” he said.Yasin said it is estimated that nearly 4 lakh people die in India every year waiting for an organ.
Firm plans to partner with residents’ assns
“The demand for organs far exceeds its supply. For someone in dire need of a transplant, every second counts when it comes to transportation of organ. Once we are fully able to use it, we will employ drones for transporting organs,” said Yasin. “In the next phase, we will be collaborating with residents’ associations and overseers of apartment complexes to allot a small space in their area for landing drones. With this, we will be able to deliver medicines and other health-related products to people at affordable prices and quickly,” he said. Skye Air Mobility CEO Ankit Kumar said the trials aimed to demonstrate a faster supply chain for sample collection by effectively using drone technology.
“The technology illustrates the cost effectiveness and reduction in delivery time. Till date, our firm has completed close to 1,200 flights, mostly for the health sector. We conducted three trials at Aster Kozhikode on Monday. We could make the delivery in half the time it would take to transport the items by road. In the coming days, our plan for Aster is to conduct 20 flights covering 540 km, saving an estimated 55 per cent of time,” he said. The company has received clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to operate drones, he said.
How it works
Skye Air said a dedicated cold chain professional would first place the medicine and diagnostic samples in a temperature-controlled payload box, which would then be loaded on the drone. It would be navigated by drone pilots from the command centre through a predetermined route to a fixed destination. The drone weighs 20kg and can hold additional weight of up to 5kg.