Elevating healthcare sector with AIIMS Ballabhgarh

Introduction

A Drone Delivery Project in the Ballabhgarh district near the city of Faridabad in Haryana State is a major milestone for the people of the district. The drone delivery operation carried out by TSAW Drones connected two Primary health centres to be joined through an air link to the AIIMS Ballabhgarh campus. Enabling such a logistics channel enhanced the service delivery of the Primary health centres. Reducing the time taken for certain services from multiple days to just a few hours proved a game changer in diagnostic and preventive medical consultation.

AIIMS Ballabhgarh was the centre for the drone network and the two Primary health centres that were connected to the operation were PHC Dayalpur and PHC Chhanissa. Proving the poor road conditions and variable traffic situations, the Medical delivery between AIIMS and PHCs could take a lot of time. Adding to the vibrations in handling the medical samples on the bad roads could potentially deteriorate the integrity and reliability of the result report.

Assessing the possibility of improvement in the current scenario, TSAW Drones took responsibility for transporting medical samples to AIIMS Ballabhgarh, with collaboration from ICMR and AIIMS. Utilising its existing Hub and spoke model, making a drone hub at AIIMS gave a strategic central location for coordinating between different PHCs. Starting with the PHCs Drone services were started reducing significant time for sample collection to reach the testing lab facility at AIIMS.

Objective

To deliver essential medical supplies, including Blood and urine samples with controlled temperature from remote health centres to AIIMS for testing and provide the tested samples report back to the PHCs.

Problem Statement

Remote health centers face significant challenges in delivering essential medical supplies and biological samples, such as blood and urine, to AIIMS for testing, often due to logistical barriers and the inability to maintain controlled temperatures. These issues compromise test accuracy and delay the return of diagnostic reports, adversely affecting patient care. A reliable, temperature-controlled transportation and reporting system is needed to bridge this gap, ensuring timely testing and report delivery to improve healthcare outcomes in underserved regions.

Pre- Operational Analysis

Before operations, a thorough pre-operational analysis is conducted to ensure mission success and safety. This includes site visits to assess takeoff and landing areas, conducting flight path simulations integrated with terrain elevation data, and performing a Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA). These steps, along with other critical evaluations, help identify potential challenges and optimize the operational workflow.

Terrain profile

The terrain profile is a critical aspect of drone flight planning, involving the analysis of elevation changes and obstacles along the flight path to ensure safe navigation. By mapping out the terrain, potential hazards such as hills, buildings, or trees can be identified, enabling adjustments to the route for collision avoidance. Route diversions are then strategically planned to optimize the flight path, maintain operational efficiency, and ensure compliance with safety regulations.

Terrain profile of AIIMS Ballabhgarh to PHC Dayalpur Route

Terrain profile of AIIMS Ballabhgarh to PHC Chhainssa Route

Operational procedure

During the initial phase of the project, trial flights were conducted using dummy payloads to ensure smooth and successful flight operations without any issues. Once the trial flights were completed successfully, regular operations commenced. The drone was then tasked with picking up medical samples from the Primary Health Centers (PHCs), such as PHC Dayalpur and PHC Chhainssa, and delivering them to the testing unit at AIIMS Ballabhgarh. After the samples were tested, the reports generated were promptly delivered back to the respective PHCs with medicines and proper medication, ensuring timely and efficient communication of results to healthcare providers.

Technology utilization

The AD250 model drone deployed in this operation featured advanced technology, including a real-time tracking system and a temperature control unit to ensure the safe transport of medical samples. With its ability to perform fully autonomous flights, the drone minimized human intervention while maintaining efficiency and accuracy, even in challenging terrains. This integration of cutting-edge features made it a reliable solution for streamlining healthcare logistics.

Challenges

Conducting the operation during the winter season posed significant challenges due to dense fog, which severely reduced visibility in the early mornings. Reaching the designated landing points by road was equally difficult, as poor infrastructure and adverse weather conditions extended travel times to 30–40 minutes. These factors underscored the importance of utilizing drones for efficient and reliable delivery, bypassing such obstacles.

Achievements

Time reduction: The drone delivery system covers a distance of 9 km ( from AIIMS o PHC Dayalpur) in just 8 min compared to 30 to 40 min by road due to inadequate road infrastructure, similarly 17 km ( from AIIMS to PHC Chhanissa) in 15 min compared to 1 to 1.5 hours by road. This significant reduction enhances the speed of medical supply delivery.

Sample integrity: The system maintained the required conditions throughout the flight, preventing any compromise in sample integrity. By eliminating risks associated with temperature fluctuations, the operation ensured reliable and accurate diagnostics upon delivery.

Report Generation TAT: The turnaround time for report generation is significantly reduced, enabling quicker decision-making in critical healthcare scenarios.

Impact

The impact this new technology has brought to the people of the area is immense. Now patients who need critical care like elderly and pregnant women don’t need to worry about travelling to the district hospital for emergencies as they know the critical care services will be available at their nearest Primary health centre. On-demand medicines could be made available in minutes.

Future prospects

The future of drone operations for medical supply delivery is promising, with advancements like extended flight ranges and increased payload capacities enabling broader coverage and efficiency. Innovations such as AI-driven route optimization, real-time health monitoring, and smart temperature control will ensure faster, safer, and more reliable transportation of critical medical items. As regulatory frameworks evolve, drones could become a key component of on-demand healthcare logistics, particularly in remote and underserved areas.

Conclusion

Owing to the successful proof of concept in the Faridabad district many other health centers are eager to set up a drone delivery facility to enable the on-demand quick services. Amidst the challenges we see today, we also witness the unimaginable uses of drone technology that come up every day.