https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Delivering Vaccines Through the Skies

Manipur, a tough terrain state, successfully tested drone delivery of Covid 19 vaccines. It became the first in Southeast Asia to use drone for delivery of vaccines from plain to island. Encouraged by this success, the state tested drone delivery of medicines, also.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Manipur seems to have a penchant for making headlines. From Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu to six successful UPSC candidates emerging from this tiny state, Manipur has been making news of late. And, recently, Manipur became the first in Southeast Asia to deliver Covid 19 vaccines from plain to island by using drones. Additional Chief Secretary (Health & Family Welfare), Manipur, Mr. V. Vumlunmang has been associated with this initiative right from the conceptual stage. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the 1992-batch IAS officer explained how Manipur became the first state to implement this innovative project.

FIRST IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Manipur launched a drone service to deliver 900 doses of Covid 19 vaccines from Bishnupur District Hospital to the Public Health Centre (PHC) in KarangIsland. This island is situated in the middle of Loktak Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. The entire exercise was carried out in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Additional Chief Secretary, (H&FW), V. Vumlunmang (left) with Chief Minister of Manipur, N. Biren Singh

The drone approximately took 15 minutes to cover a distance of 25 kilometres, which otherwise takes about an hour by boat. Speaking about this path breaking launch, Mr. V. Vumlunmang said, “Covid pandemic has taught us the importance of being agile on actual health care delivery. So, when ICMR came forward with this innovative project, we gave all possible support.”

MEDICINE TOO DELIVERED BY DRONE

Flushed with the initial success of the Covid 19 vaccines delivery, the Manipur government decided to use drones for delivering medicines as well. A drone was used to distribute medicines in Churachandpur on October 9. The drone travelled from Churachandpur’s Health and Wellness Centre to Bishnupur’s District Hospital, and from there to the Public Health Centre in Phayeng. It carried 1,200 iron folic acid tablets for 40 women in antenatal care, enough to last them for a month.

This time, the drone covered about 29 km.The entire process was automated, and the medicine box was attached to the drone by the drone pilot. The flight parameters and the medicine box remained intact all throughout. The medicines were delivered safely to the PHC, where doctors, nurses and police officers verified and certified them.

V. Vumlunmang, Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Manipur (Credit: Social Media)

The state government flagged off the drone initiative very fast to mitigate the difficulties in delivering vaccines and medicines in rough terrains. Although ICMR helped with the training and oversight, all the activities were carried out by healthcare workers and drone operators of Manipur. Soon after the test flights, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh posted on his Facebook page that his “government is committed to leave no stone unturned to save the precious lives of the people.”

Mr. Vumlunmung, too, credits the proactiveness of the government for the success of the test deliveries.

“We are grateful to Honourable Chief Minister of Manipur who holds the Health portfolio and has been proactive in leading health interventions,” he said.

EXPERIMENT TO BENEFIT ENTIRE NORTHEAST

The senior IAS officer believes that once this initiative becomes fully operational, drone delivery will become an efficient system to deliver lifesaving drugs to the remote, far-flung areas. It will be beneficial not just for the state of Manipur but for the entire Northeast.

V. Vumlunmang

“Northeast India has the challenges of hilly terrain and inaccessible areas. So, this innovative drone delivery system holds huge potential for improving health care services,” he said.

This novel initiative of Manipur government comes at a time when states are grappling to come to terms with fast-changing dynamics in the health sector, in the aftermath of two dreadful Covid 19 waves in the country. Manipur has taken the lead in using drones for healthcare. Now, it remains to be seen how far the state is willing to go, to expand this initiative and bring more beneficiaries under the ‘vaccines from the sky’ project.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Odisha Government
Odisha Elevates Two Promising IFS Officers to Senior Time Scale, Strengthening Forest Leadership - Know More About Them
Yogi Adityanath UP
Uttar Pradesh Floods: CM Yogi Adityanath Forms ‘Team-11’ for Swift and Transparent Flood Relief Across 12 Districts
DGR Job Fair
DGR Job Fair 2025 Held in Delhi to Empower Ex-Servicemen with Career Opportunities in Emerging Tech - Details Inside
omc
Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) Begins Dispatch from Dubna Mines, Strengthening Supply Chain and Industrial Growth
NFDC
NFDC Launches Free Residential 3D Animation & VFX Training for North East Youth - Here's All You Need To Know
CM Yogi
CM Yogi Adityanath Reviews Rs. 42,891 Crore Development Proposals for Lucknow Division, Emphasizes Timely, Inclusive Execution
Mahanadi River
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai Assures Odisha of Consideration on an Amicable Solution to Mahanadi Water Dispute
MP News
Madhya Pradesh CM Dr. Mohan Yadav Pays Tribute to Pt. Ravishankar Shukla on His Birth Anniversary
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
How IAS Karn Satyarthi Transformed Gumla Through Empathy and Innovation
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s Take on Corruption, Reform, and Duty
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
What Most Indians Don't Know About Jim Corbett
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
BPSC Bihar police
From Lantern Light to Police Uniform: How Praveen Kumar from a Small Bihar Village Cracked BPSC to Become SDPO
From a lantern-lit village in Bihar to becoming an SDPO, Praveen Kumar's journey is a testament to resilience,...
IAS Priyansha Garg
Why Mindset Matters: IAS Priyansha Garg’s Mental Health Mantra for UPSC
After two failed prelims, Priyansha Garg cracked UPSC with AIR 31 in her fourth attempt, proving how...
Ashish Akshat
From Setback to State Topper: How Ashish Akshat Topped JPSC While Working Full-Time
Ashish Akshat from Dhanbad topped JPSC 2023, proving that resilience, discipline, and family support...
Social Media
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve: From India’s First Sanctuary to a Tiger Conservation Success Story | International Tiger Day Special
IAS Supriya Sahu Hails Mudumalai's Role in Tiger Conservation on Tiger Day. Declared in 1940, Now Among...
Mangroves
Mangroves: Nature’s Shield Against Disasters, Says Officer Parveen Kaswan on Mangroves Day - Watch His Post Here
Mangroves, with their dense, interlaced root systems, form a mesh-like structure that serves as a buffer...
Retired IPS Inderjit Singh Sidhu
Purpose Doesn’t Retire: How 88-Year-Old Retired DIG Becomes Chandigarh’s ‘Quiet Warrior’ of Cleanliness
Inderjit Singh Sidhu’s Dawn Patrol Earns Applause, Mahindra’s Praise for a Man Who Chose Action Over...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Odisha Government
Odisha Elevates Two Promising IFS Officers to Senior Time Scale, Strengthening Forest Leadership - Know More About Them
Yogi Adityanath UP
Uttar Pradesh Floods: CM Yogi Adityanath Forms ‘Team-11’ for Swift and Transparent Flood Relief Across 12 Districts
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT