AIIMS Bhubaneswar uses drone to transport blood to community health centre

AIIMS Bhubaneswar has used a drone to transport a blood bag from the institute here to a community health centre in Khordha district, an official said.

The inaugural drone flight on Thursday transported a blood bag from AIIMS Bhubaneswar to Tangi community health centre (CHC) in Khordha district, covering a distance of 60 km in 35 minutes.

The flight marked the first-ever drone-assisted blood delivery not only in Odisha but across the entire country, the institute claimed in a statement. 

This initiative represents a significant leap in integrating technology into our healthcare system. It also collected blood samples from the CHC before returning to AIIMS.

The drone service will help a lot in the delivery of critical medical items during natural disasters like floods and cyclones, he said. 

The 12 kg drone, equipped to carry medical loads ranging from 2 to 5 kg, achieved a speed of 90 km per hour during the mission. 

Utilising GPS technology, the drone demonstrated exceptional precision in navigation, ensuring the timely and secure delivery of essential medical supplies.