| Photo credits : BERNAMA
The MHS Aviation Berhad (MHS) along with Avisena Healthcare Sdn Bhd (Avisena) and Kreatif Apps Sdn Bhd (KASB) gathered together on 9 July 2023 to launch Malaysia’s first-ever drone delivery in healthcare. With a successful proof-of-concept (POC), providing medical-related drone deliveries via drone-flying in urban areas, the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) drone was able to deliver medical-related items to various cities and towns.
The drone delivering medicine to a patient successfully took only 6 minutes from the Avisena Specialist Hospital compared to delivering by road which would have taken 11 minutes. MHS took special measures in ensuring that public privacy was respected, the connectivity of the drone was maintained and the protection of the medication pack contents was secured.
The drone took a journey of 2.9 kilometers that successfully took 6 minutes to deliver medicine to a patient via drone directly from the Avisena Specialist Hospital proving that the drone is able to cut travel time compared to the journey by road that would have taken 11 minutes not including traffic. The connectivity of the drone was maintained as well as the protection of the contents in the medication pack. It is ensured to respect public privacy as it travels over residential areas to its destination and back.
The innovation and speed at which the drove traveled proved to be one of the factors that could increase job opportunities by equipping qualified drone pilots in Malaysia. In addition to this, drones could become an essential factor in providing medicine to remote areas around the country as well as providing relief during unexpected natural disasters. The innovation and speed at which this drone travels have the potential to increase job opportunities and inspire more qualified drone pilots in Malaysia. Especially in remote areas, drones are in place to support those in need of essential supplies during natural disasters as the risk is higher than that of a city-placed job.
Encik Mohd Fakhrul Arifin Bin Adinan, Chief Executive Officer of MHS said, “We are proud to be part of this game-changing initiative to promote the use of technology in the healthcare segment. Driving innovation, choice and value have always underpinned the vision and mission of our company. We see the potential of drones as the next frontier and are set to revolutionize many industries with reduced costs and support environmental sustainability for the future. UAS/Drone delivery will soon become our latest logistics solution, providing a strong boost to support the ever-growing e-commerce industry. Most importantly, this innovation will allow us to create new high-tech job opportunities for Malaysians, as we can potentially scale up to support remote areas for essential supplies during natural disasters for example.”
Encik Adi Yazid Rosli, Chief Executive Officer of Kreatif Apps, excitedly said “As a technology company, specializing in UAS Digital Infrastructure platform, we are thrilled to contribute our expertise to this strategic collaboration. Our goal is to create a seamless integration between drones and existing healthcare logistics systems, ensuring secure and efficient operations. We believe that this collaboration will set new standards in healthcare delivery and pave the way for future advancements in drone technology. During the POC phase, our team will focus on monitoring airspace traffic, optimized flight planning, implementing stringent safety protocols and ensuring compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements, and more.”
Malaysians can expect even more innovative technology from MHS and Avisena as they have announced their collaboration of developing an on-air ambulance that will be equipped with necessary ground support services and medical support for the aircraft team on board in the near future.
