Drone medical transport clocks 1,800 trips in tribal areas of ASR district
A pilot project in Andhra Pradesh's ASR district is using drones to deliver medical supplies to remote tribal areas. The initiative has successfully completed over 1,800 trips, improving healthcare access for thousands of patients.
Why it matters
It demonstrates the practical application of drone technology in overcoming geographical barriers to provide essential healthcare in underserved regions.
The drone-based medical transportation system being implemented by the State government as a pilot project is yielding encouraging results in Alluri Sitharama Raju district.
Launched in January 2026, the pilot project currently has four drones in operation. They have made more than 1,800 trips, covering over 71,000 km, to transport medical samples, medicines, vaccines and other essential healthcare supplies to difficult-to-reach tribal habitations.
Health Minister Y. Satya Kumar, in a release on Sunday, said the drone-based system had so far transported more than 2,200 medical samples, including 596 samples for sickle cell screening. The system had enabled more than 9,000 diagnostic tests and benefited 24,500 patients, he said.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in