New Delhi: The people living in the remote corners of the country may soon receive the Covid-19 vaccine via drones. On Friday, HLL Infra Tech Services Limited, on behalf of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), invited an expression of interest for the distribution of medical supplies (vaccines/drugs) by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) at selected locations in India.
According to the company, ICMR will involve UAV operators to operate beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) and deliver the Covid-19 vaccine, in fixed pre-defined or pre-approved flight paths. It has also provided the proforma for interested parties to apply.
HLL has provided the specifications for the UAVs needed. According to the company’s note, the drone should be capable of traveling a minimum aerial distance of 35km at a vertical altitude of a minimum of 100 meters, take off vertically, and carry a minimum payload of 4kg, and capable of returning to the home base. HLL has also made it clear that parachute-based delivery will not be preferred. The proposed contract will be valid for 90 days, and can be extended depending on the performance of the UAV operator and the need of the program, HLL further said.
This comes almost two months after the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) allowed a conditional exemption to ICMR for conducting a probability study of Covid-19 vaccine delivery using drones. The ICMR has partnered with IIT-Kanpur for the project. The Centre announced that the exemption will be valid for a period of one year or until further orders.
In the meantime, e-commerce company Flipkart, on Friday, said that it has partnered with the Telangana government for the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines and other essential supplies using drones in the remote parts of the state. Before beginning the ‘Medicines from the Sky’ project, a six-day pilot project will be carried out in Telangana. ‘Using drones to deliver healthcare supplies to people in remote and inaccessible areas is a one-of-a-kind initiative ever undertaken in our country and we are happy to lead this initiative in collaboration with partners such as Flipkart,’ said Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary (IT and I&C), Government of Telangana. He added that it will go a long way in testing best-in-class technology solutions to tide over future crises.
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