Experiment successful: Drone delivers blood samples from remote Uttarakhand village in 18 minutes

In a first-of-its kind experiment conducted on Friday in Uttarakhand, a drone carrying a blood sample was sent from a district hospital in Nandgaon to another primary health centre in Tehri.

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All it took for a blood sample to reach a place 30 kilometers away was a drone and just 18 minutes.

In a first-of-its kind experiment conducted on Friday in Uttarakhand, a drone carrying a blood sample was sent from a district hospital in Nandgaon to another primary health centre in Tehri. As the experiment was successful, it might turn out to be a big step for health services in India.

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According to ANI, the drone covered a distance between of 30 km between Nandgaon and Tehri in approximately 18 minutes. This means that the drone was quick enough to travel at the speed of 100 km per hour.

A doctor at the Tehri hospital said, "It was a successful trial run. The hospital was 30 km away but blood was transported within 18 min. It'll be helpful for patients in remote areas."

The experiment was conducted in a bid to discover ways to make blood supplies conducive in remote areas.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) transported the blood sample in 18 minutes, which could have taken up to 60-80 minutes if it was taken by road. This could be a big boon for people living in rural areas where there is a lack of proper roads and medical facilities.

Speaking to The Times of India, a doctor in Burari district hospital in Tehri said that the initiative was part of an ongoing tele-medicine project in Tehri Garhwal. The blood samples were carried along with a cool kit which ensured that they did not get spoilt, he said.

In a bid to further check the drone’s reliability, similar flights will be undertaken in Tehri over the coming weeks, he added.

The drone was manufactured by the CDSpace Robotics Limited. The company is owned by an IIT alumnus, Nikhil Upadhye, who manufactures next-generation drones.

According to the report, the drone has the capacity to carry 500 grams of weight and can travel upto 50 km on a single charge.