ICMR's i-DRONE cuts median TB diagnosis time to 5 days
ICMR's i-DRONE project is making a real difference for people in hard-to-reach areas.
By flying sputum samples from local health centers to labs, drones have cut the median wait for a TB diagnosis from 15 days to just five, according to a new study out today.
The pilot ran in Telangana's Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district as part of India's push to eliminate TB.
Drone delivery cuts costs to ₹91
Switching from the old system, where patients had to travel long distances, to drone delivery didn't just speed things up; it also made testing much cheaper.
Patient expenses dropped from approximately ₹9,451 to around ₹91 on average, and many didn't pay anything thanks to local sample collection.
Health workers said drones made their jobs easier and were well received by communities, though weather and small payloads can still be tricky.