An experimental trial to utilise drones to provide superior healthcare services to tribal and rural communities in the Kandhamal district was launched. Redwing, a leading startup, would provide ‘Made in India’ electric hybrid Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) drones and run end-to-end operations for the pilot project.
The project in Kandhamal district is made possible by generous financial and technical support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s healthcare blended financing facility – SAMRIDH, implemented by IPE Global.
The drone network is being set up on an experimental basis to pilot aerial healthcare deliveries in the State. The network would enable diagnostics, vaccine, and medicine deliveries in the primary and community health centers in the remote blocks of the district. Kandhamal is the first district in Odisha and the first aspirational district in the country to have an integrated healthcare drone network.
The pioneering initiative is the outcome of multiple stakeholders collaborating to improve healthcare access to communities in remote areas. This includes the District Administration of Kandhamal, Redwing with funding support from SAMRIDH Healthcare Blended Financing Facility, and B-Medical Systems India as a cold chain partner. By delivering medical supplies faster than road-based logistics, the drone network would serve the population of Kandhamal by offering a better quality of care in the interior blocks.