Arunachal Pradesh residents can now receive essential medical supplies at their doorsteps, as on the occasion of the 75th Independence Day, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu virtually launched the pilot project drone service ‘Medicine From The Sky’ giving the state a much-needed boost in the health sector.
“Drone Services Launched: Guided by the vision of Hon PM Shri @narendramodi ji to make India the world’s drone hub, Govt of Arunachal Pradesh has decided to conduct a pilot project of using drones in healthcare, agriculture & disaster management in collaboration with @wef,” Khandu said in a tweet after the launch.
The rollout is part of the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, and the first successful flight was conducted from Seppa to Chayang Tajo in East Kameng district.
Taking a cue from the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Arunachal Pradesh has ventured into the drone service as a pilot project for supplying medicines and providing other essential services, leveraging technology to reach difficult terrains and the areas that remain cut off owing to rains and landslides.
“Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 said that India has the potential to become the world’s drone hub. He had further said that drones will ‘revolutionise’ how services are provided to the public and make it easier for providing government services,” Khandu said.
Khandu also said the Arunachal Pradesh government has recognised the potential of drones and decided to conduct pilot projects in areas like healthcare, agriculture, and disaster management in collaboration with the World Economic Forum.
The chief minister exuded confidence that the drone service ‘Medicine from The Sky’ was going to be a boon for Arunachal Pradesh given the hilly terrain and the fact that transport of medical supplies by road was a challenge, especially during the monsoon season during which landslides cut-off some areas.
The chief minister said the first pilot project would focus on transporting essential medicines, vaccines and diagnostic samples using drones instead of surface transport.
Detailing the pre-execution plan, Khandu said the detailed field assessment was conducted in July in East Kameng and Lower Subansiri districts after which the pilot project ‘Medicine from the Sky’ was launched from Seppa, East Kameng District.
“The pilot project is expected to provide a clear picture of operational issues, financial feasibility and regulatory issues based on which the government will roll out a policy and take steps for phased adoption of this emerging technology,” he added.
The current pilot project is being funded by USAID and executed by Redwings Labs.