Drones move TB samples, cut diagnosis costs from ₹9,451 to ₹91 in new ICMR trial
An AIIMS Bibinagar study under the ICMR i-DRONE initiative found that drone transport of tuberculosis sputum samples sharply reduced patient costs and diagnosis time in rural Telangana.
- AIIMS Bibinagar conducted a study on drone transport of sputum samples for suspected tuberculosis.
- The study was part of the Indian Council of Medical Research i-DRONE initiative.
- The evaluation analysed data from 840 participants in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, Telangana.
- Patients in remote villages visited the nearest PHC or sub-centre, where trained workers collected and packaged sputum samples for drone transport.
What happened
An AIIMS Bibinagar study found that drones used to transport sputum samples for suspected tuberculosis can sharply reduce both diagnosis cost and waiting time in remote villages. The evaluation was part of the ICMR i-DRONE initiative and was published in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.
The study covered 840 participants in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, Telangana. It reported that average out-of-pocket expenditure fell from ₹9,451 before the drone intervention to about ₹90.9 (reported as ₹91) during the drone phase, while diagnosis time fell from about 15 days to five.
UPSC may ask how emerging technologies can improve public health delivery in remote areas, while also testing cost-effectiveness, last-mile access, and implementation constraints in disease diagnostics.
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