Northeast India’s first drone delivery hub and network was launched in Meghalaya on Monday in an effort to improve healthcare facilities.
The facility is being built in collaboration with the drone delivery start-up TechEagle.
The drone station was inaugurated at the Jengjal Sub-Divisional Hospital by Meghalaya minister James Sangma in the presence of a host of other state ministers.
James Sangma tweeted, “I am happy to have inaugurated the Drone Station at Jengjal Sub-Divisional Hospital today. With the aim of improving accessibility, the drones will help deliver medicines to all rural health facilities falling within a radius of 50 km.”
Using a dedicated Drone Delivery Network, vital supplies such as drugs, diagnostic samples, vaccines, blood, and blood components will be quickly and safely delivered to different regions of the state.
Meanwhile, the first official drone flight took off from Jengjal Sub Divisional Hospital and delivered medicines to Padeldoba PHC in less than 30 minutes, which would have taken 2.5 hours hours by road.
The significant challenges in last-mile delivery call for an approach to revolutionize the conventional delivery system.
TechEagle’s solution addresses the issues of low visibility, high delivery costs, outdated technology, and inaccessibility via road and rail networks.
Furthermore, vaccines, medicines, diagnostic samples, blood units, and other medical supplies will be delivered on time and efficiently to and from remote health facilities.
