ArticleBMJ public health2024
Drone-based medical delivery in the extreme conditions of Himalayan region: a feasibility study.
Article in BMJ public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Nighttime human-supervised drone-delivered automated external defibrillators: a quasi-experimental mixed-methods feasibility study.Resuscitation plus · 2026Article
- How stakeholder requirements constrain drone-based medical delivery: probabilistic sizing of eVTOL aircraft at high altitude.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Defining the Systemic Response to Flight After Polytrauma in a Murine Model.Military medicine · 2026Article
- Stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles for high-altitude skin injuries: pathological mechanisms, advanced Nano-delivery, and translational perspectives.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Review
- Article
- The IoRT-in-Hand: Tele-Robotic Echography and Digital Twins on Mobile Devices.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Adopting drone technology for blood delivery: a feasibility study to evaluate its efficiency and sustainability.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, have emerged as versatile tools across various sectors, including defence, agriculture, surveillance, mining, infrastructure, emergency response, transportation, geospatial mapping and notably medical supply delivery to challenging terrains. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of using drones for delivering essential medical supplies in Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, situated amidst the Middle Himalayan Range, where heavy snowfall during peak winter restricts access to remote regions, posing logistical hurdles for healthcare provision. Methods: This cross-sectional used a mixed-method approach alongside assessing the drone-based medical delivery. Insights from healthcare workers were documented on sociodemographic characteristics, local healthcare facilities and challenges encountered during drone operations. Results: A total of 15 sorties were conducted, efficiently transporting 1000 units of medicines and 20 clinical samples. Throughout the drone operation, various technological and health-related challenges were encountered due to the high altitude and the cold weather conditions. Additionally, it has been observed that drones could play a pivotal role in supplementing traditional medical supplies. Particularly, the transportation of the medical supplies in emergency situations and delivery of diagnostic samples from peripheral villages. Conclusion: The study observed that drones present a viable solution for enhancing healthcare accessibility in hard-to-reach regions, particularly for expeditiously delivering diagnostic samples and essential medications during emergencies. The findings underscore the potential of drones to complement existing healthcare systems, providing an efficient means to address logistical challenges in remote areas.
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Registered trials
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