Drone Applications in Blood Deliveries

Drone Applications in Blood Deliveries

Blood loss due to postpartum hemorrhage and other illnesses like malaria has led to significant morbidity and mortality. When it comes to saving lives, time is of essence. It takes 3, 4, and sometimes more than 5 hours in many African countries to get blood service from the blood bank to the hospitals where it is needed. Hence, the increase in death rate.

With this prominent issue, most African countries continue to struggle with blood service to function in hospitals. Rwanda, unlike many others, has been able to excel in this area of technology. Also, it has been able to create a balance with the help of drones.

Using drones to transfer blood was conceived because of the obstacles often faced while moving blood, especially to Rwanda's remote, mountainous countryside. It took days, months, and years of work. Eventually, in 2016, the idea of using drones materialized when the Rwanda government introduced Zipline. Zipline rapidly accelerated in 2017 after they tested the theory in 2016.

Ever since, Zipline and Rwanda Government have come together and are supported by organizations such as the Gates Foundation and World Economic Forum. Zipline’s services have been primarily serving the rural areas and mountainous countryside in Rwanda. They do this as they continue to collaborate with the hospitals in rural communities.

How was it done?

Twenty-one remotely located transition clinics have done it! It is essential to know that operators formed a strategy in no time to make this function properly.

Hospitals had the number and connection to central storage.

Before they transfer blood through drones, the number to call, text, or send a WhatsApp message was distributed by central storage so that whenever a clinic needed a blood transfer, they had numbers to call.

A call to the central storage is a call to action. So, it propels the central warehouse to carefully pack the quality and quantity of blood requested into a Zipline Drone.

You shoot Drones into the air

As easy as it may look before drones can function in the air, Zipline has to first get in touch with Government agencies to be sure the time is right to shoot the drone into the air. Afterward, everyone, especially children, must be informed of the drone operations. Only then do operators shoot the fixed-wing drone into the air using a giant catapult. The drone’s lithium-ion, electric twin motors, and battery pack empower the drone so that the drone receives the strength to cover a round trip of 160 km.

It takes minutes for the drone to drop blood

In about a few minutes, unlike the time it would take a car to transfer the blood to the clinics, the Zipline drone does a magnificent job of moving the blood. It does because the drone travels at high speed and in a straight line, facing little or no obstacle on the way to the hospitals.

What were the challenges, and how were they overcome?

The biggest challenges when trying to fly drones in rural areas and communities are :

Aviation Approval: Operators Cannot fly any drone in Rwanda without concrete approval from aviation can cause a setback when operators are trying to transfer something to a rural area urgently. To make this better, Zipline first seeks permission from the country's government, which, in turn, connects to aviation to ensure that every time they fly a drone, it is not an illegal practice.

Weather: If the weather is not favorable for flight, it is always better not to risk it. What if there is an urgent need for blood when the weather is not clear? Well, here lies the problem.

Preventing Theft: Operators drop parcels in the open in broad daylight. If someone was lurking around the place the parcel drops, the person could easily claim it. Monitors may be called around the destination to ensure the parcel goes to the intended.

What was the learning?

There are so many things to learn from just watching operators transfer drones from one place to another. Zipline has been a forerunner in documenting successful long-term operations of cargo drones for medical deliveries. They are now also operational in Ghana and US and have been instrumental in conducting deliveries during COVID-19 pandemic - particularly for PPE kits, testing kits, essential medicines and vaccines.