Drone network - A saviour in tribal areas for last mile delivery of healthcare

by Psu Connect
Date: 12-02-24

IndianOil establishes a drone network in Kandhamal District, Odisha to enhance last mile delivery of Healthcare under CSR.

Drone network - A saviour in tribal areas for last mile delivery of healthcare

Over 60% of India’s population lives in rural areas. For healthcare, the villagers from the remote places have to travel long distances through poorly connected roads to reach to the district hospitals. The block level heath care facilities like PHCs & CHCs may not provide all diagnostic tests hence they have to travel to district hospitals for quality healthcare services. This may cost time as well as money (out-of-pocket expenses).

The last mile delivery of health care has been the greatest challenge in the remote tribal areas. As we know that right medications / vaccines / diagnostics at right time can save lives and may avoid pushing families to poverty.

In order to address these issues, a drone network is established between District Hospitals and PHCs / CHCs in few blocks which are more than 100 Kms. away.

The drone network is integrated with the existing Government healthcare system. Through this drone network the interior villages will have access to the district level diagnostic labs / emergency medications / vaccines in quickest possible time including cold-chain system integration, which otherwise takes days together for delivery.

Kandhamal District Administration & District health society and Redwing labs have tied up with the support of CSR fund from Indian Oil to leverage technology to reach out to the hard-to-reach areas to provide quality health care.

This also in turn reduces the out-of-pocket expenses of the population towards upkeep of their health.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar Vasudevan, Executive Director (SERPL) along with District Collector Mr Ashish Ishwar Patil (IAS), Collector & District Magistrate, Kandhamal have conducted a stake holder meet in the first week of February.