iDrone Initiative

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The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has successfully conducted a trial run of the delivery of blood bags under its iDrone initiative.

Key Highlights:

• The aim of iDrone initiative is to assess the feasibility of using drones to deliver vaccines and medical supplies. It was first used by ICMR during the COVID-19 pandemic for distributing vaccines to hard-to-reach areas.

• It is now being used to deliver blood and blood-related products which are supposed to be kept at a low temperature.

• Some countries are already using drones to deliver blood products, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and even organs to remote, rural areas or areas with poor infrastructure.