Bhubaneswar, Jan 23: In a bid to ensure healthcare services in cut-off areas during emergencies, the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS),Bhubaneswar has planned to use drone technology in the healthcare sector in the State.
AIIMS authorities experimented the new technique on its campus that was employed for the first time in transporting blood to a nearby hospital in Khurdha - Tangi Community Health Centgre. (CHC).
The trial run of the first of its kind service was successful as it was programmed for the designated function, said AIIMS sources.
Speaking on the smart health services, Executive Director of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar Dr Ashutosh Viswas said, “Blood transportation will be executed through drone in emergency. Today, we transported blood to Tangi Hospital in Khordha, which was at around 25 KM. We conducted the successful trial run of drone services for the first time in the State.”
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had recently launched an innovative method to add drone services in the healthcare sector all over India. Drones will be used during the time of disasters like cyclones, flood and other emergency times. People residing in cut-off areas during flood can get the medical services through drone, he added.
The drones will carry emergency medicines, blood, and medical equipment during natural calamities.
During the first experiment, the drone today covered 70 km in 35 minutes. It took off from AIIMS- Bhubaneswar at 12 pm and reached Tangi CHC at 12.35 pm. After delivering the blood unit, it came back with blood samples from the CHC to AIIMS.
The central health institute will also conduct another trial later on a larger scale, officials said.
