Drones deliver medicines to tribal heartland

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

In a major leap towards transforming healthcare delivery in remote tribal regions, the Andhra Pradesh government has operationalized drone-based medical services in the agency areas of Alluri Sitharama Raju district, significantly reducing the time taken to transport medicines, blood units, diagnostic samples and laboratory reports. The initiative, launched as a Proof of Concept (PoC) project in collaboration with Redwing, a drone healthcare logistics company that has previously implemented similar services in Arunachal Pradesh, is currently being operated from Paderu.

The project aims to bridge the healthcare accessibility gap in hilly tribal regions where road connectivity often delays emergency medical assistance. Under the first phase, drone services have been introduced in eight healthcare facilities, including the Chintapalli Area Hospital, Munchingiputtu Community Health Centre and the Primary Health Centres at Bheemavaram, Tajangi, Sunkarimetta, Lothugedda and Ananthagiri. Every day, drones transport blood samples from these hospitals to the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Paderu for testing.

A dedicated Drone Hub has been established on an 80-cent plot at the Government Degree College grounds in Paderu. From here, drones can cover hospitals located within a 100-kilometre radius. While trained personnel at each hospital load medical samples and receive supplies, bike runners transport samples between the drone hub and the district hospital, ensuring seamless last-mile connectivity. The project has already demonstrated its effectiveness. Recently, a drone landed at the Tajangi PHC to collect blood samples and returned the next day with laboratory reports.

Officials say the initiative is designed to ensure timely healthcare for tribal communities living in inaccessible areas. Encouraged by the success of similar projects in Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha, the state government is now planning to integrate drone medical logistics with King George Hospital (KGH), Visakhapatnam, subject to necessary aviation clearances due to the presence of defence installations in the region. If expanded statewide, the initiative could become a model for delivering critical healthcare to some of Andhra Pradesh’s most remote and underserved populations.