Pharmaniaga exploring drone usage for healthcare services

Pharmaniaga's logistics specialist loading medicines into the drone before delivery

SHAH ALAM: Pharmaniaga Bhd is exploring the use of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones for pharmaceutical-grade medical delivery to enhance its logistics capabilities and make healthcare services more accessible, especially to remote and geographically challenging areas.

In a statement today, the company said the initiative aimed to reduce delivery time and cost as well as increase supply chain efficiencies as drone delivery is estimated to be five times more efficient than conventional delivery methods.

It said the first phase of the proof of concept (POC) of the project, code-named Project Eagle, has successfully taken place recently in Pulau Pangkor, Perak which involved a distance of 4.2 km from a jetty in Manjung to Klinik Kesihatan Pangkor with approximately three kilogrammes of medicines delivered for emergency medical treatment.

"The POC was the first longest-distance drone medical delivery of pharmaceutical products over water in Malaysia, led by a female pilot,” it said.

Group managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope said Project Eagle would bring the company one step closer to rolling out a large-scale programme for the delivery of vital medicines via drones.

"A normal mode of delivery using a ferry from the jetty in Manjung to the clinic at Pulau Pangkor will take approximately 30 minutes, as opposed to only 3.5 minutes when using the drone as demonstrated.

"Despite the unfavourable weather, as it was drizzling with poor visibility due to 100 per cent cloud cover, Project Eagle in Pulau Pangkor was carried out successfully,” he said.

He said project Eagle would continue with several more stages at different locations and terrains, including the remote areas in Sabah and Sarawak and findings from the project would be documented and submitted to the relevant ministries and government agencies.

The project was supported by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre, Technology Park Malaysia, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, Boustead Holdings Bhd and Meraque Services Sdn Bhd. - Bernama