A drone service firm is in talks with the Ugandan government on a deal to deliver blood packages, drugs and medical equipment to public health facilities, an executive is quoted in a Daily Maverick report as saying. A deal could see Uganda join a small number of other African countries, such as Ghana and Rwanda, that have deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to help public health logistics.
Uganda’s public hospitals often face shortages of essential supplies, such as blood, drugs, syringes, gauze and gloves, sometimes due to unreliable transport through the gridlocked capital or along poorly paved or dirt roads in the countryside.
John Goslino, business manager at Flexdrone, is quoted in the report as saying that the drone services firm launched by a Ugandan and a German aimed to start a delivery service in March if talks were successful. He said the service had already secured approval from the Information and Communications Technology Ministry and they were awaiting an endorsement from the Health Ministry. Goslino said his firm had partnered with Ugandan start-up firm Sysimo Technologies to develop a mobile app for the on-demand delivery service.
[link url="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-11-22-drone-firm-in-talks-in-uganda-on-medical-supply-delivery-deal/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Afternoon%20Thing%20TGIF%2022%20November%202019%20Audi%20A7&utm_content=Afternoon%20Thing%20TGIF%2022%20November%202019%20Audi%20A7+CID_60e5070fb4a5a687aeb3974a44742ee3&utm_source=TouchBasePro&utm_term=Uganda%20set%20to%20transport%20medicine%20by%20drone"]Daily Maverick report[/link]