Need a pill? Call a drone!

Siemens Healthineers is collaborating with German drone manufacturer and service provider Wingcopter to pilot an integrated drone delivery solution for healthcare facilities throughout Africa.

The combination of Siemens Healthineers’ Laboratory Diagnostics testing capabilities and Wingcopter’s drone delivery services will provide improved diagnostics and faster treatment.

Thanks to its patented tilt-rotor mechanism and proprietary software algorithms, the Wingcopter 198 can take off and land vertically like a multicopter, was well as fly long distances as efficiently and quickly as a fixed-wing aircraft, even in rain and wind.

Ole Maloy, managing director of Siemens Healthineers Middle East, Southern & Eastern Africa, says Siemens Healthineers is committed to providing access to care for everyone. “Our partnership with Wingcopter will look to bridge the existing gaps in healthcare infrastructure, providing equitable and affordable access to diagnostic testing and medical supplies,” he asserts.

The utilisation of Wingcopter’s delivery drones interconnected with Siemens Healthineers’ laboratory diagnostics facilities will allow for quick and automated two-way delivery of samples, medicine, and other medical products. The battery-powered drones will be operated by Wingcopter, covering a range of up to 75km while maintaining the cold chain at all times. These sustainable and efficient drone delivery networks will allow for the centralisation of sample testing and medical consumables distribution, resulting in improved access to diagnosis, faster turnaround times, increased efficiency, and cost reductions.

Tom Plümmer, CEO and co-founder of Wingcopter, says the collaboration can save the lives of millions of people on the African continent and beyond. “Partnering with Siemens Healthineers will bring us a big step closer to the goal we are working tirelessly towards: to make a real social impact worldwide for those who need it most through fast, reliable, and sustainable drone delivery networks in the sky,” he explains.

Roughly half of the world’s population still lacks access to essential health services such as timely diagnostic services, according to a report from the World Bank and World Health Organization. While accessibility for diagnostic testing will increase, the drone delivery solution will also have a positive impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, increasing access to health and capacity building on drone operations, while potentially reducing carbon footprints and the risk of road accidents.

The exact time and place of the first deployment of drone-based lab sample deliveries will be announced shortly.