Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday launched an initiative to facilitate delivery of COVID-19 vaccine in difficult and inaccessible areas of the Northeast through drones. ICMR’s Drone Response and Outreach in the North East (i-Drone), a delivery model to ensure that life-saving COVID vaccines reach all, is in line with the government’s commitment to Antyodaya in Health – Making Healthcare the Last Citizen To make it accessible to the country officials said.
This is the first time that a “Make in India” drone has been used in South Asia to transport a COVID-19 vaccine over an aerial distance of 15 km in 12-15 minutes from Bishnupur District Hospital to Loktak Lake, Karang Island. PHC For administration in Manipur.
“The actual road distance between these places is 26 km. Today, 10 beneficiaries will get the first dose and eight will get the second dose in PHC,” Mandaviya said. Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Health Minister said, under his leadership, the nation is progressing at a great pace. Today It is a historic day, which showed us how technology is making life easier and bringing about social change. India is home to geographical diversities and drones can be used to deliver essential commodities to the last mile, he said. .
Towards ensuring last mile delivery of vaccines! ICMR’s ‘Drone Response and Outreach in North East’ initiative to begin at 1 PM today
This will help India increase vaccination coverage by easily transporting vaccines to remote and hilly areas
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— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) 4 October 2021
“We can use drones to deliver important life-saving drugs, collect blood samples. This technique can also be used in critical situations. This technology can prove to be a game-changer in addressing challenges in health care delivery, especially health supply in difficult areas.” The Minister said, our vaccination program for Kovid-19 has already exceeded all expectations.
“I firmly believe that this initiative will help us achieve the highest possible vaccination coverage for COVID-19. Incorporating such drone technologies into national programs will help in quicker delivery of other vaccines and medical supplies. Despite effective and safe vaccine administration in states and union territories, the delivery of vaccines to difficult and inaccessible areas of India is still challenging.
The health ministry said that the i-drone has been designed to overcome these challenges by deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)/drones in remote areas. At present, the drone-based delivery project has been permitted for implementation in Manipur and Nagaland as well as in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. ICMR conducted a preliminary study in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to test the capability of drones to safely carry and transfer vaccines.
The study was conducted in Manipur, Nagaland and Andaman and Nicobar. These studies provided promising results on the basis of which the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and other regulatory authorities have given permission to fly drones beyond visual line. Mandaviya expressed confidence in this initiative and said that it can be helpful in delivering not only vaccines but also other medical supplies. He said that this will help in bridging the gaps in the existing vaccine delivery mechanism.
He thanked the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA and Airports Authority of India for their support in this endeavor and congratulated ICMR, health workers and all those involved in this historic initiative.
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