Importance of Drones in Healthcare Delivery Amid a Pandemic: Current and Generation Next Application

BENEFICIARIES/TARGET GROUP: HEALTHCARE SECTOR

OBJECTIVES

·        To provide a responsive healthcare service in a contact-free manner.

·        To emphasize the importance of drones in healthcare delivery noting its current and future usability.

BACKGROUND & SUMMARY

Drones are conventionally referred to as UAVs and UAS which means unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned aircraft systems respectively. Just like unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned aircraft systems, other names used in place of the term drone are: RPV and RPAS, meaning remotely piloted vehicle and remotely piloted aircraft system respectively. Remotely piloted aircraft system is a more multinational and conventional term while remotely piloted vehicle is most often associated with military environments. Basically, a drone is a form of robot designed to be flown by controlling it from a distance using a computer or devices with software-controlled flight plans programmed in them, operating simultaneously with built-in sensors and global positioning system (GPS). This however is done without a human pilot on board, hence the name unmanned aircraft (FAS, 2017). As at now, a disease caused by the virus known as coronavirus disease 19 or simply COVID-19 is currently ravaging the world at an alarming pace and as a result of the devastating prowess of the causative organism (SARSCoV-2); many hospitals are reported to have broken down due to the overwhelming influx of affected persons. As of the time of writing this article, SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 25 million of the world’s population and close to one million people have died of COVID-19 in approximately 216 countries (WHO, 2020). In the face of COVID-19, there have been little or no reports as far as we know, on using drones to combat or support healthcare workers who are continually being exposed to COVID-19 without remorse.

PROJECT LINK

https://www.updwg.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Importance-of-drones-in-healthcare-delivery-amid-a-pandemic-current-and-generation-next-application.pdf