Samridh Launches Drone-Based Healthcare Network in Odisha in Collaboration with Redwing

Reportedly, medicine delivery by drone will be available for Gudari and Kalyansingpur blocks in the first phase. Later it will provide services to other remote areas in the district.

Samridh Healthcare Blended Finance Facility in partnership with pharma giant Redwing, has launched a pilot drone network to enhance accessibility and affordability of healthcare services in the Rayagada district of Odisha.

Under this initiative, Redwing’s ‘Made in India’ electric hybrid Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) drones will be utilised to deliver medicine and medical equipment by air to isolated areas in Rayagada District, Odisha.

Reportedly, medicine delivery by drone will be available for Gudari and Kalyansingpur blocks in the first phase. Later it will provide services to other remote areas in the district.

This experimental pilot seeks to benefit the rural and tribal populations in the Rayagada district thereby mass adoption of drones in the public health system. Moreover, the drones will be strategically placed to take high-quality healthcare closer to people and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.

Sharing her views, Swadha Dev Singh, DC, Rayagada, said, “This Rayagada has many hard-to-reach areas in different blocks like Gudari and Kalyansingpur. These interior regions have power, access, and infrastructure challenges. Drone-based medical delivery will be a game changer in strengthening healthcare in such areas. Patients will now have access to the best of diagnostics and on-demand medical care irrespective of where they live in the district.”

Founded in 2020, Samridh Healthcare Blended Finance Facility is a multi-stakeholder innovation and financing platform supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IPE Global.

The facility aims to support high-impact and commercially sustainable solutions targeted at improving healthcare services for vulnerable communities. It uses blended financing solutions, combined with in-depth market intelligence, to back innovators and entrepreneurs through their critical stages of growth, maximising their efforts towards building an inclusive healthcare system for India.

Sharing thoughts on the same, Michelle Lang-Alli, health office director, USAID/India said, “Aerial delivery makes possible new solutions to healthcare challenges in rural, tribal, and hard-to-reach locations, with the potential to both extend care to remote communities and save lives, with applicability not just in India, but across the world.”

The Indian pharmaceutical company, Redwing was founded by PC Jain in 2008. It is committed to making affordable and quality medicines available worldwide. Their product range includes dosage forms such as tablets, capsules, liquids, injections, ophthalmics, ointments, metered dose inhalers for asthma care, and topical medicated aerosols.

Using drones for healthcare delivery has started taking roots in India. Besides many such instances, last month, AIIMS Bilaspur collaborated with drone startup TechEagle for efficient healthcare delivery in Himachal Pradesh. This includes prompt blood tests and permits precise treatment strategising ahead of patients' hospital arrivals, potentially leading to time-saving and life-saving outcomes.