B2B Medical Delivery
USA: Accelerating Medical Deliveries in rural America
42 km
distance
(one way)
29 min
average flight time
(till delivery)
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
As a result of the USA’s efforts to keep healthcare costs down, many Americans, especially in rural areas, are impacted by a lack of immediate or timely access to healthcare resources. Distances between healthcare facilities are often great and medical goods are transported by courier car only once or twice a day, taking up time of healthcare professionals.
When these shortages impact the availability of blood products, urgently needed medicines, diagnostics or small medical devices, the consequences can be dire.
The remote island of Pentecost is one of 83 islands in the South Pacific that make up the nation of Vanuatu. The 60 km long island is made up predominantly of mountainous terrain covered in dense jungle. In many cases, the islanders don’t have access to roads, electricity or permanent healthcare facilities.
Providing access to vaccines in the most remote communities involves nurses travelling from health centers, sometimes having to hike for several hours or days, or travel by boat around the island. Even short distances can take long and costly hours in which the heat-sensitive medical supplies are exposed to the tropical heat and arduous travel conditions.
In the landlocked country of Malawi, the provision of medical care is often reliant on a poor road infrastructure that is highly compromised by seasonal fluctuations and heavy rains.
This challenge contributes to high rates of maternal and child mortality, reduces patients’ ability to adhere to treatment, and slows improvements to the health system.
In rural areas in particular, where citizens rely on local health centers for primary care, healthcare provision is hampered by frequent stockouts of essential medicines and critical medical supplies
In the landlocked country of Malawi, the provision of medical care is often reliant on a poor road infrastructure that is highly compromised by seasonal fluctuations and heavy rains.
This challenge contributes to high rates of maternal and child mortality, reduces patients’ ability to adhere to treatment, and slows improvements to the health system.
In rural areas in particular, where citizens rely on local health centers for primary care, healthcare provision is hampered by frequent stockouts of essential medicines and critical medical supplies
Solution
Solution
Solution
To tackle these challenges, Spright, Air Methods’ drone division, aims to set up a flexible, rapid drone-based distribution network across the United States, enabling the instant and on-demand delivery of vital medical supplies, medications, vaccines, blood, and lab samples, between medical facilities.
For initial tests, they collaborated with Hutchinson Regional Medical System, in Hutchinson, Kansas, and tested the deployment of Wingcopter drones for the delivery of samples and other medical supplies to a laboratory around 40 kilometers (26 miles) away.
An initiative was undertaken to establish a regular and emergency delivery service in the district of Kasungu in rural Malawi to replenish stockouts of essential medicines and other medical commodities in two health centers within the Humanitarian Drone Testing Corridor and one outside the Corridor.
The medical commodities transported from Kasungu Airport to the three health centers included essential medicines such as antimalarials, maternal health products and antibiotics, and general medical supplies such as viral load samples and masks, servicing a total population of over 115,000.
An initiative was undertaken to establish a regular and emergency delivery service in the district of Kasungu in rural Malawi to replenish stockouts of essential medicines and other medical commodities in two health centers within the Humanitarian Drone Testing Corridor and one outside the Corridor.
The medical commodities transported from Kasungu Airport to the three health centers included essential medicines such as antimalarials, maternal health products and antibiotics, and general medical supplies such as viral load samples and masks, servicing a total population of over 115,000.
Outcome
Outcome
Outcome
Instead of a 45-minutes drive by car that would have taken a nurse off the floor for at least 1,5 hours, the drone delivered the goods in 29 minutes.
The envisioned network would increase healthcare access across rural and underserved communities and improve quality of care for patients due to faster turn-around times of lab samples and more targeted treatments for patients.
Finally, the electrically powered Wingcopter drones reduce the medical industry’s carbon footprint.
The deliveries by Wingcopter helped reduce the overall number of stockout days in the health centers during the implementation period. The project will therefore be continued and expanded in scope.
The deliveries by Wingcopter helped reduce the overall number of stockout days in the health centers during the implementation period. The project will therefore be continued and expanded in scope.
Impressions
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