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Redcliffe Labs to Use Drones to Carry Medical Test Samples

CIO Insider Team | Thursday, 26 May, 2022
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According to reports, Redcliffe Labs is planning to use drones to carry medical test samples twice daily from its collection centers in the remote corners of Uttarkashi to its laboratories in Dehradun.

By July-end, it will operate three flights a day, according to the company.

Reports suggest that, the healthcare industry will be the first large-scale adopter of commercial drone delivery after the government liberalized rules for operating drones last August.

According to the company, the move will help the company reduce the duration of transporting test samples from six to eight hours via road to just 88 minutes. It is also looking to expand its services to the hilly regions in Himachal Pradesh, the Northeast and Ladakh, and is setting up a lab in Shimla to enhance coverage.

Ankit Kumar, chief executive, Skye Air says, “We are trying to do similar things at a commercial scale with Swiggy and Dunzo, who are planning to use drones in cities for delivering grocery. The first long-range demo flight for Redcliffe was conducted on 19 May and it will be up to 30 percent cheaper and take 80 percent less time to transport the product. Delivery by road in the hilly regions takes eight to 10 hours. Drivers must also be paid for their service. Drones will allow multiple flights, and reduce costs on manpower and vehicle substantially.”

Skye Air Mobility supplies drones to Redcliffe Labs. The drone delivery startup has partnered with 85 percent of organized diagnostic centers, including SRL Diagnostics and Redcliffe to deliver test samples and medicines by using drones.

Drones will more likely pick up in the hills where road travel takes longer. We want to see large parts of the hills connected more regularly. We're also trying to bring all of these package tests at a much cheaper price

Besides, Skye Air is working with e-commerce and food delivery platforms.

Vivek Jhunjhunwala, partner, Deloitte India says, “2022 will see drone usage becoming widespread in India. We can see a spurt in delivery drones in 12-18 months. The government is actively assisting with use-cases in healthcare sector, including delivery of vaccines, medicines and transporting human organs.”

Dheeraj Jain, founder, Redcliffe, says, “Drones will more likely pick up in the hills where road travel takes longer. We want to see large parts of the hills connected more regularly. We're also trying to bring all of these package tests at a much cheaper price.”

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