Indian lab uses drone to expedite delivery of patient sample; covers 73km in record time [details]

Drones have proven to be of great use in various fields. An Indian diagnostic healthcare company has set a great example of how technology can be leveraged for the benefit in the field of medicine. Delhi-based Redcliffe Labs has successfully employed drones for the expedited delivery of patient sample in cases of emergency.

Traditionally, moving patient sample is a tedious procedure, requiring manpower and reliance on transport. Various factors play obstacle, especially when testing of a patient sample is a race against time. Redcliffe Labs is eliminating the obstacles, reliance on traditional means of transport to swiftly move patient sample from one point to another.

In a video shared on Twitter, a drone can be seen carrying a patient sample from Meerut Hospitals to Redcliffe's specialised lab in Noida. The drone covered a 73-km flight in record time, bypassing any traffic or pit-stops en-route.

Redcliffe-Skye Air Mobility partnership

Redcliffe Labs is a clinical laboratory where tests are carried out on medical samples to get information about a patient's health for providing precise diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of certain diseases. It is where lab tests are conducted on clinical specimens (also known as a patient sample), such as blood or urine, and the results are analyzed.

Last month, the lab signed a long-term partnership with Skye Air Mobility, a drone delivery logistics provider. This partnership will enable faster supply chain for sample collection in rural, remote, semi-urban parts of the country.

"This step is strategic in terms of achieving reduced turnaround time along with serving patients even in the remotest parts of the country. We foresee this as a breakthrough in the Indian healthcare delivery system and are looking forward to the benefits that this association will bring along," Dheeraj Jain, Founder, Redcliffe Labs, was quoted as saying.