Drone enables medicines from sky in Arunachal Pradesh

Guwahati, Dec 12: Arunachal  Pradesh has become the second state in the Northeast after Meghalaya, to launch drone-based services to deliver medicines and other healthcare essentials in the remote, mountainous and far-flung areas to save time and costs.

Gurugram-based 'TechEagle' has developed the drone-based services and launched it in collaboration with the Arunachal Pradesh government and World Economic Forum.

The operations have been started to enable "Medicines from the Sky" for the remote areas of Lower Subansiri District. The project was flagged off by Arunachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang.

Officials said that the drone took off from Ziro Valley and transported the cargo (medicine) to Chambang, covering an aerial distance of 31 km, in just 21 minutes.

The drone took off from Ziro Valley with a payload of 1.5 kg, carrying Diclofenac tablets and Adrenaline Injection, and on its return flight from Chambang to Ziro Valley, the drone carried blood samples for testing.

Apparently, the time taken by a vehicle to travel between Ziro Valley to Chambang by road takes around 8 hours.

TechEagle's indigenously developed drone delivery solution transported the items around 24 times faster compared to ground transportation, a statement said.
TechEagle's state-of-the-art drone delivery solution will ensure regular and consistent transportation of life-saving drugs and other emergency healthcare items to save and improve the lives of people residing in the hard-to-reach areas of the state

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In 2021, TechEagle had successfully completed Asia's first cold chain Vaccine delivery by Drones in Telangana with the World Economic Forum's Medicine from the Sky Initiative.

On December 5, TechEagle developed Asia's first drone delivery hub built at the Jengjal Sub-Divisional Hospital in West Garo Hills district was launched by Meghalaya's Health and Family Welfare Minister James P.K. Sangma.