The Andhra Pradesh government launched on Tuesday, October 29, a medical drone service at AIMS Hospital in Mangalagiri, Guntur district.
This innovative initiative, unveiled during a virtual event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to bridge the gap between rural Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and specialised medical facilities.
The objective of the service is to improve access to specialised medical services for rural communities by quickly transporting medical samples from PHCs to larger hospitals.
The inaugural flight saw the drone transporting blood samples from the Nutakki PHC to AIMS Hospital, covering the distance in just nine minutes. This journey previously required patients to travel to the hospital, register, and wait for an entire day to complete testing procedures. Now, patients can receive timely diagnostic results without leaving their communities.
“This technology bridges the gap between rural areas and specialty hospitals, facilitating timely medical interventions that could be life-saving,” said Dr Rajiv Aravindakshan, Professor and Head of the Community and Family Medicine Department at AIMS Hospital.
Following this initial success, the Andhra Pradesh government plans to expand the drone service to additional rural areas, integrate it with existing healthcare systems, and provide training for healthcare professionals to operate and manage the technology effectively. This program represents a targeted effort to address healthcare access challenges in India’s rural areas through technology-driven solutions.
