Sky Dropping Vaccines? Telangana Govt Plans To Make Covid Jabs Available By Drone; Know All About It

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is on the lookout for bids from drone operators in India, with an aim of developing a model of drone that is not only easy in its operation but can also cover a wide range of areas. 

Representative Photo: Getty Images

Hyderabad: “From the sky drop like confetti” or medicine? The Telangana government has given a whole new meaning to the iconic Little Mix song lyrics. Medicinal help from the sky. The Government of Telangana has launched a project to check the feasibility of delivery of vaccine supply with the help of drones.

There isn’t a confirmation on the idea yet, but tests are being conducted for using unmanned drones to deliver the Covid-19 vaccines in certain regions of the country, particularly the remote areas.  This out-of-the-box medium of transport can bring significant changes in the tedious process of providing supplies to citizens.  

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is on the lookout for bids from drone operators in India, with an aim of developing a model of drone that is not only easy in its operation but can also cover a wide range of areas. 

E-commerce companies such as Flipkart and Dunzo are also part of these tests and will play significant roles in providing the required information and expertise to the initiative. “We believe our participation in the ‘Medicine from the Sky’ project will facilitate a more connected state and country, allowing people almost instantaneous access to vaccines and medicines from the most populous to most remote areas in India in the near future,” said Kabeer Biswas, CEO, and Founder of Dunzo Digital in a statement. 

 This project of the Telangana government is part of the ‘Medicine from the Sky” project of the World Economic Forum and has clinical representation from Apollo Hospitals. 

According to the WEF’s briefing paper for the project, “Medical supply chain challenges are often related to public infrastructure gaps. Poor roads over difficult terrain, supply routes that are washed out during monsoons and lack of electricity in many areas directly related to supply chain shortcomings”.