Drone drops Covid vaccine at Karang Island PHC : 05th oct21 ~ E-Pao! Headlines

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Drone drops Covid vaccine at Karang Island PHC
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 04 2021: Union health and family welfare minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday launched ICMR's Drone Response and Outreach in North East (i-Drone), which is a delivery model to make sure that life-saving vaccines reach everyone.

Bishnupur district administration and District Health Society in association with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) organised the launch function for delivery of vaccines by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or drone at Loukoipat, Bishnupur on Monday while the union minister officially launched the project through virtual mode from Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi.

In his address, Mansukh Mandaviya said, "India is a home to geographical diversities and drones can be used to deliver essentials to the last mile.

We can use drones in delivering important life-saving medicines, collecting blood samples.

This technology can also be used in critical situations".

"This technology may prove a game changer in addressing the challenges in health care delivery, particularly health supplies in difficult areas.

Thanking the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Health minister mentioned, "Under his leadership, the nation is progressing at a great pace.

Today is a historic day, which showed us how technology is making life easier and bringing social change.

"Congratulating the people of the country on this innovative step, Mansukh Mandaviya conveyed that this is for the first time that a 'Make in India' drone has been used in South Asia to transport Covid vaccine over an aerial distance of 15 km in 12 15 raifrutes from the Bishnupur District Hospital, Loukoipat to Karang PHC, a health centre in the Loktak Lake island.

"The actual road distance between these locations is 26 km.

Today, 10 beneficiaries will receive the first dose and eight will receive the second dose at the PHC," he mentioned.

The Union health minister continued, "Our immunisation programme for Covid-19 has already exceeded all expectations.

I strongly believe that this initiative will further help us achieve the highest possible immunisation coverage for Covid-19.Incorporating such drone technologies into the national programmes would help deliver other vaccines and medical supplies as quickly as possible".

Mandaviya thanked the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA and Airports Authority of India for their support towards this endeavour and congratulated ICMR, health workers and all associated with this landmark initiative.

During the held testing using UAV or drone for vaccine delivery on Monday, the pioneering initiative of ICMR's project - i-Drone successfully delivered Covid vaccine from Loukoipat to Karang Island in Bishnupur.

According to ICMR officials, Monday's vaccine delivery from 'plain to island' is the first in South East Asia.

ICMR officials also mentioned that i-Drone project was started for the first time in Manipur to field test vaccine delivery in difficult terrains of the country with study sites selected from Bishnupur, Imphal West, Churachandpur and Tamenglong districts.

It can be mentioned that despite the effective and safe vaccine administration in the states and Union Territories, the vaccine delivery in tough and hard-to-reach terrains of India is still challenging.

This i-Drone has been designed to overcome these challenges by deploying UAV/drones to remote areas and hard to reach terrains.

Currently, the drone based delivery project has been granted permission for implementation in Manipur and Nagaland, as well as in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, after the ICMR conducted an initial study in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to test the capacity of drones to carry and transfer vaccines safely.

Union minister of state for health and family welfare VK Pandu, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare secretary Rajesh Bhushan, ICMR director general Dr Balram Bhargava, additional chief secretary (H& FW) V Vumlunmang, ICMR-NARI head ECD and director Dr Samiran Panda, state mission director Dr N Shyamjai Singh, state immunisation officer Dr T Manihar Singh, ex-MLAs Govindas Konthoujam and S Bira Singh, Bishnupur ADM H Bobby Sharma, SP, CMO and other senior officers of the ministry, state government, ICMR, etc., were also present at the function.

The event was also webcast on YouTube.

* This news is as published by respected news daily at Imphal, whose name is duly marked as 'Source'. E-Pao.net is not responsible for it's sanctity & originality.

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