i-Drone
For the first time in the country, an Indian-made drone has delivered 900 doses of vaccines over a distance of 31 km in the state of Manipur. Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Health Minister launched an initiative with the aim to facilitate delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine to hard to reach and difficult areas in the Northeast region via drones.
What Should I know for My UPSC Exams?
About the i-Drone initiative
The drone response and awareness of ICMR in the Northeast (i-Drone), a delivery model to ensure life-saving COVID vaccines reach everyone, is in line with the government’s commitment to make healthcare accessible even for the last citizen of the nation.
The Union Health Minister launched the initiative that would facilitate the delivery of vaccines to hard-to-reach areas in India. Despite the efficient and safe delivery of vaccines in the Union territories and states, the delivery of vaccines to the difficult and hard-to-reach areas of India remains a challenge.
This is the first time a commercial drone flight was conducted in South Asia. A distance of 31 km was covered in 13 to 15 minutes. It is not only used to supply vaccines, but in the future we will also use drones to transport blood samples and essential medicines.
i-Drone
As in the country, the vaccine delivery to remote areas still remains a challenge the i-Drone is designed to address these challenges by deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)/drones in remote areas. At present, the delivery project through drones has been given approval so that it can be implemented in the states of Nagaland and Manipur, as well as in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Meanwhile, 91.54 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far as part of a nationwide vaccination campaign.
Earlier this year, the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) and Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted the ICMR a conditional exemption to conduct a feasibility study on the delivery of Covid19 vaccines using drones. ICMR has tied up with Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur for this ambitious project.