Imagine a situation where urgent vaccines need to be delivered to a remote village in the State. Or, transport blood samples from villages to labs in the district headquarters. The normal mode of transport by road would take long what with the poor road connectivity. Imagine if they could simply be flown? It could soon be a reality as the Indian Institute of Public Health – Hyderabad (IIPH-H) is developing a drone delivery system for medicines with a temperature-controlled payload box, which would surmount terrain hurdles and cut delivery time.
Not a dream
The Digital Drone-based Real Time Advanced Medical Modular Logistics system (2DREAM) project seeks to reach remote areas and deliver temperature-sensitive payload in 30 minutes flat, without a break in the cold chain.
According to Suresh Munuswamy, Health Informatics Rapid Design Lab Coordinator at IIPH-H, a concern of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), the institute has partnered with the prestigious US-based Johns Hopkins University to develop the temperature-controlled vaccine box.
While vaccines, Dr. Munuswamy says, should be stored at 2 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius, blood must be stored between 20 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius. The payload box will ensure that these temperatures are maintained. And, it can carry up to 40 kg.
“The box designs are PHFI’s. This includes storage capacity, type of insulation, packaging, a small solar panel to provide electricity and also access. A QR code could be used to open the box. Johns Hopkins University has agreed to work with us to develop it,” Dr. Munuswamy said. Designs for a modular box have also been prepared. This would allow multiple deliveries at different centres.
To cover long distances, the project envisages a petrol-powered drone as against battery-operated ones. The IIPH-H has partnered with Silicon Valley-based drone startup Dronadu Inc. as well as Michigan-based drone manufacturer Vayu, Inc.
“Vayu has made drone deliveries of blood samples in Rwanda and Madagascar. Since the drones are petrol-powered, they can travel up to 200 km per flight. These would be on autopilot, but monitored continuously from a control centre,” Dr. Munuswamy explained. And typical drone for this kind of mission can achieve a speed of around 70 knots or 129.64 km/hr.
100% coverage
The PHFI team zeroed in on four probable nodal locations in the State to facilitate drone payload delivery: Adilabad, Siddipet, Mahabubnagar and Khamman.
“We mapped optimal locations from where deliveries could be made and decided on these four locations from where 100% of the population can be covered. Existing facilities such as warehouses have been factored in,” Dr. Munuswamy said.
However, with restrictions on drone flying by individuals in force in the State, the PHFI is of the opinion that the State should take the lead in using this technology so as to provide better and timely healthcare.
