Drones deliver medicines, supplies: 80km in no time
"This will be a very useful service especially for remote islands. Patients can send samples without travelling".
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By
Aminath Shifleen
The lack in availability of emergency medicines and supplies is one of the biggest challenges facing the health sector in Maldives. Unable to avail basic services they need from the health centre in the island, islanders sometimes have to travel long distances to get a laboratory test done. No matter how quickly one needs a medicine, it takes a long time to get it from a good pharmacy from everywhere beyond the city.
The government has now introduced drone technology as a solution. With this service, items such as medicines and laboratory samples that need to be transported in emergencies will be sent by drones.
How is this service provided?
Drone assistance for healthcare is now only available in larger countries. However, the government believes that it is needed and important for Maldives. For scattered islands, there is nothing more useful than a drone to provide quick service.
The drones, which are capable of carrying 6 kg of goods, can travel up to 80 km, Health Minister of State Ahmed Adil said. Typically, islands within the same province are much closer together. Therefore, the drones can travel easily with medicines, vaccines and laboratory samples to and from the Atoll Hospitals or Regional Hospitals, he said.
"This will be a very useful service especially for remote islands. Patients can send samples without travelling," he said.
"Even if you can't travel because of the weather, you can now get the service this way”.
Switzerland's RigiTech will provide the drone service throughout Maldives. The service was launched in Huvadhu atoll on Monday with one drone. The government aims to deploy such drones in different provinces soon.
The drone, which can be operated after special training, can hold up in strong winds. The drone will be operated by a separate personnel trained for the purpose with the permission of the Civil Aviation Authority. They have to be flown below the air taxi range.
The government launched the service, Adil said, after a lot of research and with the ideas of the relevant technical experts. The drone will be operated and managed by STO. The training required for the service will be given to the employees.
Drones carrying medicines, samples and vaccines is a completely new service for Maldives, and the government believes that it is a useful service for everyone.
