Drone technology is defining the future of health care.

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These mini remote-controlled unmanned flying machines (UAS) are becoming extremely useful in providing health care services.

Drones have featured in a whole lot of scenarios. They have been used in photography and film making to record or take pictures from angles difficult for people to manoeuvre, they have also featured as weapons of war; drones carrying explosives can be programmed to hit targets.

Their usefulness in the commercial world is also gaining press, as large shopping bodies like Amazon are making plans of using drones to deliver goods. Brilliant and impressive move.

The health care sector is not left behind when it comes to utilising the drone technology. Innovative thinkers have been able to think out ways that will enable health care professionals to utilise drones in health care.

Well, if you are not aware, drones have already been employed into the health field, a startup called Matternet has been using drones to supply food and medical supplies to areas hit by natural disasters e.g Haiti.

In areas where it is obviously impossible to convey medical aid through land or typical air transport, drones come into play. These devices can be used to reach areas where it is impossible to get to using traditional methods of transport, either due to war, natural disasters or any other factor that hinders prompt assess to areas that require this service.
In the future, small indoor drones could deliver medicine to the bedside of a patient from the pharmacy, thus eliminating some human steps. This would lead to more rapid and less error-prone administration of medications. Nurses and pharmacists can work more efficiently as supplies can be summoned to the bedside instead of the time-consuming task of gathering necessary items.Jeremy Tucker (Jeremy D. Tucker is chair of the emergency department and Physician Champion Patient Safety at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, Md. He also serves as regional medical director for Medical Emergency Professionals).

There are no doubts that drone technology will in many ways positively affect the quality of health care. Though a new technology which has not permeated fully the very fabrics of health care, especially in developing regions of the world, its future is promising, opportunities abound and innovators should look for ways of keying into this new opportunity, discovering various applications of drone technology in health care.
Drones make it possible to deliver blood, vaccines, birth control, snake bite serum and other medical supplies to rural areas and have the ability to reach victims who require immediate medical attention within minutes, which in some cases could mean the difference between life and death. They can transport medicine within hospital walls and courier blood between hospital buildings, as well as give elderly patients tools to support them as they age in place. UAS offers a variety of exciting possibilities to the health care industry, possibilities that help save money as well as lives.Renee Knight.

Like every other endeavour, challenges must always be present, and some challenges facing the utilization of drones in health care include; payload capacity, battery life and most importantly regulations.

More developing countries with poor health coverage need to start thinking of ways to incorporate drone technologies into their health systems, to enable them expand the reach if health care in their various regions.

Further Reading :

https://www.dronesinhealthcare.com/

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By Ayinla Daniel

(Chief Editor Care City Blog)

Photo Credit: Unsplash.

(c) Care City. 2019.

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