Drones deliver 900 Covid vaccine doses at Karang Island
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 04 2021: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister has on Monday launched Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) drone response and outreach called i-Drone for the North- East region.

The project was launched virtually from Nirman Bhawan New Delhi and marks the Government's first step towards undertaking of COVID-19 vaccine delivery in the remote corners of the country using drones.

The ICMR-led pilot project has been approved for Nagaland, Manipur and Andaman and Nicobar Islands and to mark the launch of the project in Manipur, i-Drone delivered 900 doses of Covid vaccine to Karang Island from Bishnupur.

The project was proposed for delivering vaccines from plain to plain, plain to hill and plain to island.

It is said that the project will also cover areas in difficult terrains from Imphal West, Churachandpur, Tamenglong districts.

Drones deliver 900 Covid vaccine doses at Karang Island

The distance between Bishnupur District Hospital and Karang Primary Health Centre via road is around 25 km and took nearly a hour to travel, but the flight distance via drone is only 15 km and reportedly took only 12 to 15 minute to reach the destination, said ICMR officials who attended the launch programme.

The launch programme for Manipur held at the Old DC Complex of Bishnupur district was attended by ex-MLA of Bishnupur AC, Govindas Konthoujam; ex-MLA of Kumbi AC, S Bira; Addl Chief Secretary, V Vumlunmang; NHM State Mission Director, Dr N Shyamjai, State Immunisation Officer, Dr T Manipur, ECD and Director ICMR-NARI, Dr Samiran Panda, ADM Bishnupur, CMO Bishnupur, SP Bishnupur and staff or ICMR.

Speaking at the occasion, the Union Minister said "It is the first commercial flying of a drone in South Asia.

A distance of 31 km was covered in 13-15 minutes".

"It's not only for vaccine supply, we'll also transport blood samples and essential medicines using drones in the future," he added.

Noting that the drone technology can be extremely helpful to farmers in applying pesticides and fertilizers, he further said that the event also marked an important day as the drones being used in the project are made in India.

He also stated that drone technology is set to impact citizens' lives positively in the near future.

Meanwhile, ex-MLA Govindas said that India has scripted history with the application of drones for delivering vaccines and lauded ICMR for bringing in the initiative in the North East.

Such initiative will immensely contribute towards realising the Prime Minister's dream of New India.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times) .