AIIMS Bilaspur Teams Up with Drone Startup TechEagle for Efficient Healthcare Delivery in HP

This includes prompt blood tests and permits precise treatment strategising ahead of patients' hospital arrivals, potentially leading to time-saving and life-saving outcomes.

TechEagle, a drone delivery startup based in Gurugram, has teamed up with AIIMS Bilaspur to transform emergency healthcare in Himachal Pradesh. The collaboration is focused on expediting the delivery of critical blood samples to remote rural areas, significantly enhancing healthcare accessibility in the state.

Using their Vertiplane X3 drone, TechEagle has conducted flights over rural Himachal Pradesh in the first half of October. This advancement assures prompt blood tests and permits precise treatment strategising ahead of patients' hospital arrivals, potentially leading to time-saving and life-saving outcomes.

Commenting on the same, Vikram Singh Meena, founder & CEO of TechEagle, said, "Our vision at TechEagle extends beyond technology. It's about empowering communities and ensuring healthcare reaches every corner. This partnership with AIIMS Bilaspur is a pivotal step in that direction."

Talking about the social impact of the initiative, Anshu Abhishek, cofounder & COO of TechEagle, said, "This partnership brings us closer to our goal of making a social impact worldwide by providing medical essentials swiftly and sustainably through drone delivery networks. These efficient networks will improve diagnosis access, reduce turnaround time, enhance efficiency, and lower costs."

The partnership, which commenced on October 5th, 2023, deployed the Made-in-India hybrid e-VTOL Drone, Vertiplane X3, to overcome the challenges presented by the hilly terrain. The project witnessed numerous successful flights between AIIMS Bilaspur and remote regions of Himachal Pradesh.

Among the highlights of this journey was the flight between AIIMS Bilaspur and PHC Bihar, covering a challenging 60-kilometre distance. Typically a two-hour road trip, the Vertiplane X3 completed the journey in just 12 minutes, a staggering 10 times faster than traditional ground transportation.

To demonstrate the technology, AIIMS Bilaspur conducted drone-based healthcare delivery trials. This project was officially inaugurated by Ankita Mishra Bundela, joint secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Dr Vir Singh Negi, the executive director of AIIMS Bilaspur.

The Vertiplane X3 embarked on an inter-district journey from AIIMS Bilaspur to Civil Hospital, Darlaghat, District Solan, covering a road distance of 30 kilometres.

Traditionally a one hour and 30-minute road journey, TechEagle claims, the drone accomplished the mission in just 15 minutes, a remarkable 5-fold reduction in time. As per the startup, the drone efficiently delivered the payload and swiftly returned with crucial patients' blood samples back to AIIMS Bilaspur.

Established in 2017 in Gurugram, Haryana, TechEagle made remarkable strides by creating India's first on-demand drone delivery network for healthcare and essentials.

Recently TechEagle partnered with AIIMS Jodhpur in September, aiming to ensure efficient delivery of essential medical supplies to underserved tribal communities in Sirohi, Rajasthan.

The primary objective of this collaboration was to make healthcare more affordable, accessible, and of high quality for these populations.