The government has approved the launch of an experimental project using drones for medical logistics. The drones are expected to be used to speed up the transport of medical cargo between hospitals.
Prime Minister announced this, according to Serhii Koretskyi.
The first site for the project will be the Heart Institute of Ukraine’s Ministry of Health. The facility already has three specialised drones capable of covering distances of up to 700 kilometres and landing on hospital sites.
A clear procedure for coordinating flights with the military has been set out. The drones will have a special status and will be identifiable in the air. Rules will also be defined for what to do during an air-raid alert, including the option of landing at a резервній точці.
The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. On its basis, they plan to create a Ukrainian flight management system for civilian drones (UTM) and set out rules for their safe use.
As Koretskyi noted, in wartime conditions and with difficult road situations, transporting medical cargo by car can take time that is critically important for saving lives. This is especially true for transplants, where delivery speed is decisive.
The drones are planned to be used to transport medicines, medical supplies, blood samples for testing and donor organs between hospitals, including from remote areas.