Army assisted drone delivery of vaccine: PRO
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 05 2021:
Troops of Red Shield Division rendered assistance to ICMR by provisioning security apparatus and administrative support during the launch of its Covid-19 vaccine delivery pilot project, a first of its kind in entire South Asia by using drones to deliver vaccines to extremely remote and in accessible areas of Manipur with ease and in a quicker time frame, said PRO PIB (DW) .
In a release, the PRO recounted that the event was flagged off by Union Health Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya via video conferencing from New Delhi and was attended by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare secretary Rajesh Bhushan, ICMR director general Dr Balram Bhargava, ICMR head & ECD and director Dr Samiran Panda, State Health Mission director Dr N Shyamjai Singh, eminent scientists and technicians of ICMR, civil dignitaries and officials from the local civil administration.
The i-drone, which has a capacity to carry 900 vaccine doses was used for the delivery and covered a distance of 31 km in 15 minutes from Bishnupur district headquarters to Karang island which otherwise usually takes 3-4 hours by road.
A total of 10 people were vaccinated against Covid-19 through this initiative, added the release.