ICMR validation trials will help evolve SOPs for drones delivering blood bags, components

A trail run of delivery of blood bags by a drone was conducted by the ICMR under its I- DRONE initiative on Wednesday.

New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) conducted a successful trial of delivering blood bags by drones for the first time in the country on Wednesday. According to official sources the trial was conducted by the ICMR's 'I- DRONE' initiative and Professor Dr. Anita Nangia, Director, Department of Pathology, Lady Hardinge Medical College is the principal investigator of this project.

The drone sortie conducted at the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT), Greater Noida carried 10 units of blood samples from the Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) and the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS).

ICMR which remains as a pioneer in using drones for healthcare purposes had so far successfully conducted the delivery of medical supplies, vaccines, and medicines in remote areas of Manipur and Nagaland. The drone-based delivery of blood will reduce the time for last-mile deliveries within the country, a statement from the ICMR said.

SOPs to be evolved-According to the research agency, the investigators from LHMC, GIMS and JIIT will further conduct drone flights for validating the quality of packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, platelets during the present study. The findings of this study will provide scientific evidence from India for examining the impact of drone transportation on blood products, it said.

This study will help develop SOPs for wider applicability and use of drones for delivery of blood bags and the components. Additionally, it will provide answers to whether drones shall be used as a method of transportation for temperature sensitive blood products in remote locations of the country, it said.

Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director General, ICMR emphasised that the 'i-DRONE' was first used during covid19 pandemic by ICMR for distributing vaccines to unreachable areas. According to Bahl, the blood and blood-related products transported during trial were supposed to be kept at a low temperature.

The trial revealed that we can maintain the optimum temperature and ensure that there was no damage to the products transported, the ICMR DG said. He said another sample sent through an ambulance will be compared. "If there are no differences in the samples sent using the two modes, then this drone will be used all over India.”

ICMR said the scientists identified the challenges in "timely delivery of blood and blood products" especially in the remote areas and congested metropolitan cities of India. They also assessed "the quality and integrity of fragile bodily fluids such as blood due to the impact of drone’s movement" during the validation exercise.