Drones to deliver health products in Karonga
A drone delivery company Village Reach says it will start operating in Karonga District to ensure timely delivery of life-saving health products to health facilities in remote areas.
Speaking during a District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting on Thursday, the company’s senior programmes officer Innocent Mainjeni said they have been working for the past 20 years to improve the transportation of vaccines, medicines and laboratory samples in low income countries.
He said: “People who live in remote or hard-to-reach areas have difficulties accessing medical products and services. Karonga is also a disaster-prone district and the drone delivery service will play a vital role in transporting health products on time.
“Drones will enable us to overcome challenges in infrastructure and logistics, optimise supply chain systems making them more effective and reliable.”
Mainjeni said Australian company Swoop Aero’s drones were capable of travelling 100 kilometres, carrying a package weighing a minimum three kilogrammes.
Karonga district director of health services David Sibale said they were excited with the use of drones to transport health products.
“This will assist in ensuring that supplies are readily available in health facilities around Wiliro, Kayelekera and Kaporo,” he said.
Sibale encouraged community members to welcome the initiative.
“Let us take the initiative positively because sometimes people associate new innovations with other beliefs but we should view it as an initiative to improve the quality of service delivery,” he said.
