Cornea Transportation via Drones Successfully Tested.

New Delhi (RNI) In a significant breakthrough, corneal tissues were successfully transported via drones from Dr. Shroff Charity Eye Hospital in Sonipat, Haryana, to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), AIIMS Jhajjar, and subsequently to AIIMS New Delhi. This innovative method has the potential to replace traditional road-based transportation, ensuring faster and more efficient delivery.

The use of drones in the healthcare sector has been gaining traction since the COVID-19 crisis. According to official sources, this recent study was conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with AIIMS New Delhi, Dr. Shroff Charity Eye Hospital, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The drones covered the distance between the two cities in approximately 40 minutes — a journey that typically takes 2 to 2.5 hours by road.

Timely transportation of corneal tissues is crucial, as the viability of donated corneas is highly time-sensitive. Any delay can compromise tissue quality, reducing the chances of successful transplantation. Drone-based transportation offers a faster, more temperature-controlled, and efficient alternative to traditional road networks.

In recent years, ICMR’s i-Drone initiative has demonstrated the successful use of drones for delivering essential medical supplies. This includes COVID-19 and UIP vaccines, medicines, and surgical supplies in Northeast India; drugs and samples in high-altitude, sub-zero regions of Himachal Pradesh; intraoperative oncosurgical samples in Karnataka; TB sputum samples in Telangana; and blood bags and components in the NCR region.

Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary of the Department of Health Research (DHR) and Director General of ICMR, explained that the i-Drone platform was initially designed to deliver vaccines to remote areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, its application has expanded to include the transportation of blood products and essential medicines in challenging terrains and extreme weather conditions.

Prof. (Dr.) M. Srinivas, Director of AIIMS New Delhi, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “Corneal blindness affects millions in India, and the timely availability of donor tissues is often extremely limited. This drone-based transportation model could be a transformative step towards ensuring equitable access to vision-restoring surgeries. L.S.

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