City kicks off drone transport service for medical supplies
2025-08-10 19:08:18
By Chen Si.
Yichang launched its first drone-based medical supply distribution service on August 7, delivering medicines from a local hospital to a community healthcare center in under three minutes.
Yichang launched its first drone-based medical supply distribution service on August 7, delivering medicines from a local hospital to a community healthcare center in under three minutes.
The opening ceremony for the launch of a drone transport channel for medical supplies.Photo by Zhang Tingting
At 9:30 am, the Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Three Gorges Polytechnic transported a box of medicines to the Qingdaolu Community Healthcare Center in just 2 minutes and 25 seconds. Community doctors quickly administered the supplies to patients.
The service utilizes a hexacopter drone equipped with high-precision navigation and all-weather flight capabilities. It can cover a 15-kilometer radius in 8 minutes, while traditional ground transportation typically takes 30 minutes.
The drone will transport emergency kits, first-aid boxes, defibrillators, laboratory samples, frozen plasma, antiviral medications, and other medical supplies.
This service will significantly enhance emergency response times and expand rescue capabilities, saving personnel and vehicle costs compared to traditional ambulance transport.
Currently, the service covers eight community healthcare centers and serves over 130,000 residents in the area.
Zhang Tingting, Zhang Bokang, Liao Zhenzhen contributed to this story.
