Using drones to transport suspected COVID-19 samples; experiences from the second largest testing centre in Ghana, West Africa

Abstract

Background The declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11 2020, by the World Health Organisation prompted the need for a sustained and a rapid international response. In a swift response, the Government of Ghana, in partnership with Zipline company, launched the use of Unmanned Automated Vehicles (UAV) to transport suspected samples from selected districts to two foremost testing centres in the country. Here, we present the experiences of employing this technology and its impact on the transport time to the second largest testing centre, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in Kumasi, Ghana. Methods Swab samples collected from suspected COVID-19 patients were transported to the Zipline office by health workers. Information on the samples were sent to laboratory personnel located at KCCR through a WhatsApp platform to get them ready to receive the suspected COVID-19 samples while Zipline repackaged samples and transported them via drone. Time of take-off was reported as well as time of drop-off. Results A total of 2537 COVID-19 suspected samples were received via drone transport from 10 districts between April 2020 to June 2021 in 440 deliveries. Ejura-Sekyedumase District Health Directorate delivered the highest number of samples (765; 30%). The farthest district to use the drone was Pru East, located 270 km away from KCCR in Kumasi and 173 km to the Zipline office in Mampong. Here, significantly, it took on the average 39 minutes for drones to deliver samples compared to 117 minutes spent in transporting samples by road (p<0.001). Conclusion The use of drones for sample transport during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced the travel time taken for samples to be transported by road to the testing site. This has enhanced innovative measures to fight the pandemic using technology.

Unmanned aerial vehicles and pre-hospital emergency medicine

“…UAV applications were not excluded from this, and a number of actual and proposed uses were reported. These included the use of UAVs to collect patient samples and deliver to diagnostic centres and the distribution of vaccines [ 65 ] to difficult access communities [ 66 ]. The practicalities of UAV use for remote diagnosis and patient data collection have been reported [ 67 ] and also the screening of large populations with thermal imaging to detect pyrexia [ 68 ].…”

Challenges for the Routine Application of Drones in Healthcare: A Scoping Review

“…The use of UAVs for the transportation of biomedical items offers numerous advantages. First, the potential for a reduction in delivery times has been recognized by several studies [20][21][22]28], stressing the efficacy of drone utilization as an alternative means of transportation for medical purposes when compared to conventional modes. A retrospective data analysis was conducted to assess the impact of UAVs on the delivery of blood products and associated wastage in Rwanda [28], where the government launched a drone delivery program for blood products in 2016, spanning 20 healthcare facilities across the country.…”

“…However, a series of limitations in using drones to transfer biomedical goods have been identified. The foremost limitations frequently cited include a significant dependence on weather conditions [19][20][21] and technical constraints, such as battery lifespan and transport capacity [22,26,31,37]. Adverse meteorological conditions, such as strong winds or rainfall, hinder the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles, thus providing an intermittently unavailable service.…”

Challenges in the aviation system caused by the emergence of delivery drones

“…These solutions are available even today at those locations where the road infrastructure is not available, or its quality does not support effective road transport (e.g. for the transport of medicines, vaccinations, and medical equipment) [4], [5], [6], [10].…”