They're a world leader in using drones for healthcare. But drones can't do it all
Rwanda has successfully integrated drone technology to deliver emergency medical supplies, such as blood, to rural areas. While the technology has saved lives, the article notes that drones are only one component of a broader healthcare infrastructure challenge.
Why it matters
It demonstrates the practical application of robotics in solving logistical healthcare crises in developing nations.
MUHANGA, Rwanda – Noella Mukanoheli was nine months pregnant and bleeding out.
First, she made a 50-minute trip to the clinic that serves her village, riding on the back of a friend's motorbike. There was no doctor on staff so they called an ambulance to take her to the nearest hospital. It was only about 10 miles away but took two hours to get there because of the country's challenging roads.
Her husband, who was with her, says she lost consciousness en route. When she arrived, doctors said she needed five liters of blood. That's considered a "massive transfusion" in medical terms –– an emergency measure to replenish virtually all the blood in a human body.
But the hospital didn't have her blood type, so doctors had to order it.
The method of transport: two drones, which dropped their precious packages in the Muhanga hospital courtyard.
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