Rwanda is exploring the use of drones in fast delivering needed medical supplies, including COVID-19 test kits and personal protective equipment (PPE), a senior health official revealed Friday.
The trial flights are being tested through a pioneering drone operations management platform,Zipline which offers digital tools that adhere to drone safety measures, according to the minister of Health Dr Daniel Ngamije.
The new innovation is introduced just a few weeks after Rwanda National Police has been using since March this year help catch lockdown transgressors.
While police stop cars and pedestrians on streets to ask why they are out, the Police adopted the use of two drones buzz above them, one loudly broadcasting instructions and the other monitoring movements.
Ealier last month, the tiny East African nation which has been at the forefront of technology introduced robots at a Covid-19 treatment center to test patients’ temperatures and to alert security when people don’t wear masks.
The robots can also deliver food and other supplies to patients, thereby minimizing contact between patients and medical staff, according to the director general of the Rwanda Biomedical Center, Sabin Nsanzimana.
CU/abj/APA