Chhattisgarh, a State grappling with infrastructural and security challenges in the remote tribal areas, may soon have drones at the forefront of healthcare delivery.
A demonstration of flying blood samples from the Udaipur Community Health Centre (CHC) to Rajmata Smt. Devendra Kumari Singhdeo Government Medical College, was conducted on Monday. The college is one of the 25 medical colleges picked by the government of India for a pilot project involving the use of drones to access populations residing in the far flung areas of the country.
In Monday’s trial, the drone successfully transported blood samples and operation theatre culture samples covering 40 kilometres, maintaining the cold chain temperature during the flight that was operated by a Bangalore-based company registered with the Drone Federation of India, the apex body of drone fliers. Three more such trials, involving as many vendors are slated to happen in the next few days [two of them on Wednesday], and depending on the superiority, the project will be assigned, said officials. The successful trials will then determine the launch of a pilot project and eventual rollout, they added.
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai says that using drones for delivering medical facilities in these areas will overcome the supply-chain shortcomings in the healthcare sector.
State’s Director (Health Services) Rituraj Raghuvanshi adds the potential of use cases in healthcare delivery in a State-like Chhattisgarh is unlimited.
“The government of India certainly feels that there is a connectivity issue in north and South of Chhattisgarh. This will be particularly beneficial for the State because in Bastar, we have the Naxal issue and in the North Sarguja is anyway backwards. Right now, we are focussing on critical cases in which we can immediately help by either collection of samples or delivery of medicines,” he says.
Ambikapur medical college that has been chosen for the pilot demonstrates the logistical challenges involved. It is the only medical college in the Sarguja division comprising five districts and caters to an estimated population of 15-20 lakhs.
“It is a huge geographical area with rough terrain. There are additional challenges which we experienced during Covid. There are strikes, road blocks, jams and natural calamities. The Udaipur CHC was 40 kms but drones can fly for 100 kms,” says Dr. Ramanesh Murthy, the dean of the Ambikapur medical college.
The other institute chosen in Chhattisgarh is AIIMS, Raipur, The 25 medical colleges chosen in the country are from geographically diverse areas – from the sand dunes of Rajasthan to the hilly areas of Kashmir and Rajasthan.
The drone-flying exercise involves coordination with a range of stakeholders, including Raipur and Kolkata Airport authorities, State and district administration, besides the police, added Dr. Murthy.
However, not everyone is convinced with drones being the best solution. A senior official on condition of anonymity says there are other, and more pressing problems at the ground level, that need to be fixed.
“Drones can overcome physical issues like road connectivity and weather, but there are human intention factor and supply chain issues at the back end. Drones can solve the problems between point A and B, but what about the issues at point A and point B. If these are solved then the use will be more effective,” Dr. Gajendra Singh, a Raipur-based health specialist at Unicef, says.
Mr. Raghuvanshi also acknowledges some of these challenges. “We need to find out what are weight restrictions and range challenges and just to sort these things out, we have started this trials. This is the final experiment before we have the launch,” he says.
