75th Independence Day: Experimental Trials for Drone… Leave a comment
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Redwing labs to provide ‘made in India’ hybrid Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) drones and run end-to-end operations for the project
- The drone network is being set-up up on a limited experimental basis to pilot aerial healthcare deliveries in the state
- The initiative is an outcome of Arunachal Pradesh’s partnership with the World Economic Forum’s ‘Medicines From the Sky’ initiative
An experimental trial to utilize drones to provide superior healthcare services to tribal and rural communities in Seppa, a town in East Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh, was launched today on the occasion of 25 years of India’s Independence.
By delivering medical supplies up to eight times faster than road-based logistics, the drone network would serve the population of East Kameng by offering a better quality of care in the interior blocks.
Redwing Labs, a leading startup, would provide ‘Made in India’ hybrid Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) drones and run end-to-end operations for the project.
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The pilot project in East Kameng is made possible by the financial and technical support from SAMRIDH Healthcare Blended Financing Facility – an initiative supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IPE Global. The healthcare drone pilots in Arunachal Pradesh are an outcome of the State’s partnership with the World Economic Forum’s ‘Medicines From the Sky’ (MFTS) initiative.
‘Made in India’ hybrid Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) drone by RedWing Labs
The drone network is being set-up up on a limited experimental basis to pilot aerial healthcare deliveries in the State. The network would enable diagnostics and emergency treatments in the local health centers.
This pioneering initiative is the outcome of multiple stakeholders collaborating to improve healthcare access to communities in remote areas. This includes The Government of Arunachal Pradesh; World Economic Forum’s ‘Medicines From the Sky’ (MFTS) initiative; Redwing Labs with funding support from SAMRIDH Healthcare Blended Financing Facility – an initiative supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IPE Global.
Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi, India started trials and pilots of drone-based deliveries in healthcare in 2021. Multiple states including Telangana, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha and Uttarakhand have done pilots and experimental flights. Drones carried multiple health products including vaccines, essential drugs and diagnostic samples. Aerial supply chains have immense potential to solve last-mile healthcare challenges and advance SDG-3 in rural, tribal, and semi-urban locations.
Speaking about the collaboration with Redwing Labs, Himanshu Sikka, Project Director, SAMRIDH and Chief Strategy and Diversification Officer, IPE Global, said, “SAMRIDH is committed to enable scaling-up of innovative healthcare solutions by improving their access to affordable capital and technical assistance. Our collaboration with Redwing Labs gives us a tremendous opportunity to address supply-chain shortcomings in the healthcare sector to address access and affordability of quality healthcare for the vulnerable populations. We will also be providing impact evaluation assistance that could be useful to develop the drone policy for future drone-based healthcare delivery projects.”
The SAMRIDH initiative was established during the COVID-19 pandemic to support healthcare enterprises and innovators across India implementing market-based health solutions. It provides grants and facilitates debt financing to healthcare initiatives to support scale-up of high impact health solutions that can improve access to quality healthcare for vulnerable communities.
Highlighting the impact of this initiative, Mr. Pravimal Abhishek, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, East Kameng District, said, “East Kameng District has a very hilly terrain which makes it difficult to access interior areas, particularly during monsoons. I am sure the drone based drug delivery will be a game changer in strengthening access to healthcare in such remote areas. Hoping that this pilot would give us the answers and clarity for the future.”
By enabling care at the local level, the drone network aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) for patients, increase immunization rates and improve welfare gains. This experimental network would be accompanied by an impact evaluation study to understand the cost-benefit and health impact of using drones in India’s public health system.
