Health takes to the skies
RESIDENTS living in the Darling Downs region may soon have their vital medication delivered by a drone in a new program proposed by Darling Downs Health and Swoop Aero.
The innovative plan that aims to slash wait times on medication and supplies is a first for Queensland, if not Australia.
Travelling up to speeds of 115 km/h, the drones would take off from hubs located in Goondiwindi, Dalby or Chinchilla, Kingaroy and Toowoomba.
Executive director of infrastructure at Darling Downs Health, Dr Paul Clayton said that the drone service would reduce the turnaround time on testing results and improve travel for patients.
“It should improve the turnaround time for supply of equipment or medication and reduce the travel time some of our patients need to do,” Dr Clayton said.
“They might be able to have their consultation in their own location and then they can have the minor procedure in their own location.”
Australian operations manager at Swoop Aero, Daniel Scandar said the drones were currently making successful deliveries using the “highway in the sky” to semi-remote customers located outside Goondiwindi.
“Our activities in Goondiwindi right now are operating business to customer, so we are delivering pharmaceutical medication from Lucy Walker’s Terry White Chemist to her customers out in the semi-remote areas,” Mr Scandar said.
The program is currently waiting on a federal grant application that if successful could see drones up and flying to all 26 health facilities located in the Darling Downs region by the end of the year.
Dr Clayton said the new technology was helping regional health care services push the boundaries on what they can offer.
“We’re really pushing the edge of medical innovation with this pilot, and as far as we know there isn’t another hospital or health service that is ready to implement a pilot like this or has something already in operation,” he said.
“We’ve been talking to Swoop Aero for a number of years and to be in a position where we could implement this service by the end of 2022 is an incredible achievement.”