Drones to supply drugs to hospitals in lake region counties

Delivery of medical suppliers in Nyanza counties is set to improve following the launch of a drone distribution project.

The drone technology will boost healthcare services as medical products will be supplied on time to various facilities in the Lake region.

Kisumu county partnered with the global leader in instant logistics, Zipline to adopt the technology.

Zipline, an American digital supply chain firm will construct a Sh 1.5 billion regional warehouse in Kisumu, where the drone station will also be hosted.

Upon completion, Zipline will use uncrewed aerial system drones to deliver medical supplies to more than 1,250 health facilities.

Lake Region Economic Bloc is comprised of 14 counties namely Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kericho, Kisumu, Kisii, Migori, Nyamira, Nandi, Siaya, Trans Nzoia and Vihiga, all are expected to benefit.

Zipline Senior Vice President Daniel Marfo and Kisumu deputy governor Mathews Owili signed a Memorandum of Understanding for piloting the project in Kisumu.

LREB chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, his deputy James Ongwae and Siaya deputy governor James Okumbe witnessed the signing ceremony.

Owili said the agreement will improve delivery of Covid-19 vaccines, blood products and other medical commodities to health facilities.

The distribution centre will increase supply of medical products, animal health interventions and logistics and Covid-19 vaccines in Kisumu and neighbouring counties.

Having successfully piloted the Universal Health Coverage, Kisumu is strategically located to integrate the technology as it rolls out the Marwa Health Insurance Scheme to indigent households.

Owili said medical products access has been a major challenge in remote areas.

“We have made significant efforts in improving the overall healthcare delivery of our people. Our mission of achieving UHC is on course with this historic partnership,” Owili said.

Marfo assured that they will expedite the distribution hub construction to ensure that access to healthcare for life-threatening illness and vaccines is achieved.

He said the technology which was initiated in 2016 in Ghana has proven viable, and has since been adopted in Rwanda, Nigeria, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.

Zipline plans to focus on instant and scheduled supply, warehousing and data systems to help in decision making.

Currently, the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency is the sole distributor of medical products to counties, with Zipline targeting 14 counties upon request.

How it works

Health workers place orders by text message or call and promptly receive their deliveries exactly when and where they need them in 30 minutes.

The drones both take off from Zipline’s distribution hub, requiring no additional infrastructure or manpower at the clinics they serve.

They fly autonomously and can carry 1.8 kilos of cargo, cruising at 110 kilometres per hour, and have a round trip range of 160 kilometres - even in high speed winds and rain.

Deliveries are made from the sky, with the drone descending to a safe height above the ground and releasing a box of medicine by parachute to a designated spot.

Marfo said the Zipline team will coordinate with health facilities in the targeted counties for medical supplies.

“We will take their orders, brief the facilities on the progress of the deliveries, pack the orders, and deliver them through drones within 45 minutes,” he said.

The firm will develop systems which responds to the needs of the health facilities for efficient and smooth operation.

Marfo said their drones will be capable of making on-demand and emergency deliveries of blood products, Covid-19 vaccines, and other life-saving medications.

They have already received approval from the Ministry of Defence.

Kenya Civil Aviation Authority approval is still pending to allow the use of drones for distribution.

The technology is expected to tackle challenges such as delays in delivery of drugs occasioned by bureaucracies and poor access in some counties.

It will also save health facilities from incurring losses from expired drugs as they will only order what they need at a given time.

Marfo said the partnership will solidify transformational logistics medical delivery to put Kenya on the forefront of health excellence.

Oparanya said the technology will boost healthcare services in counties as medical products will be supplied on time.

“Under LREB, there are 14 million people and the health sectors has many challenges which should be addressed. We would support the Zipline technology,” he said.

Oparanya said they committed to deliver an aggressive agenda of building a robust health delivery system that will not only serve a few but many within the LREB counties.

Zipline co-founder and chief executive Keller Rinaudo said they have seen how automated, on-demand delivery can transform healthcare systems to make them more efficient, effective and equitable.

“With the expansion into Kenya, our seventh country the partnership with Kisumu is a pivotal step forward to expand these important benefits to more communities around the world,” he said.

Data from Zipline indicates that they have so far made 20,000 deliveries  since 2016.

They have also managed to deliver five million Covid-19 vaccine doses, 120,000 blood units and 900,000 medical supplies  in Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria.