Isala will spend a year experimenting with a medical drone. The drone will transport blood, medicines and lab materials between Isala and other hospitals.
This is a collaboration between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, ANWB, Air Traffic Control Netherlands, KPN, Isala and other healthcare partners. The parties speak of a unique collaboration, which should prove whether medical material can be transported quickly and safely by air.
Air corridor
The first flight with the medical drone was carried out on 22 September. In doing so, the drone flew from Isala Meppel to Isala Zwolle, which takes about 20 minutes. The flights are carried out through a special air corridor, which is designed to allow safe flight out of a pilot's sight. ANWB Medical Air Assistance supervises during the flight, receiving support from Air Traffic Control the Netherlands.
Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Robert Tieman, ANWB board chair Marga de Jager and Isala board chair Michèle Blom were present at the departure of the first flight from Isala Meppel. Minister Tieman speaks of an efficiency boost and points out that it could save lives. Tieman: "We are very keen to help make medical logistics in the Netherlands more efficient and we want to boost the development of drone technology. This is an efficiency move that can be life-saving. The air corridor we are releasing stretches like a new, sleek canal through the sky. A kind of 'Isala 2.0'. I am very happy with this step, that much is clear. We are at the beginning of this new development."
'Challenges call for smart solutions'
Michèle Blom, chairman of Isala's board of directors, points to the challenges facing hospitals in the coming years. "As a hospital, we are continuously improving our care. There are tough challenges in the coming years, such as the rising demand for care and the tight labour market. This calls for smart solutions," Blom said. "We are doing this together. The department, Isala, the ANWB and, of course, the local authorities joining hands and saying: we're just going to do it. And we are doing this not only for this region, but for the whole of the Netherlands: this is how we stand in it. We need guts, we need some regulation space and we really need to put the patient first."
Marga de Jager, CEO of ANWB: "We want to be meaningful to the whole of the Netherlands. From our experience with trauma helicopters, the deployment of medical drones is a logical next step to deploy new technology for emergency services."
Previous trials in Utrecht and Nieuwegein
This is not the first time medical drone flights have been carried out. Earlier, for instance, the St Antonius Hospital in Utrecht and Nieuwegein conducted research into the use of medical drones to transfer medical materials such as blood samples and biopsies. This research was conducted as part of Medical Drone Service, a consortium set up on the initiative of PostNL and ANWB Medical Air Assistance. Isala is also involved in this consortium.
Trials were also previously carried out by ANWB, PostNL, Erasmus MC in Rotterdam and blood bank Sanquin to transport blood and medication via drones. These were then test flights carried out at a shorter distance between Rhoon and Oud-Beijerland in South Holland. These included testing flight procedures in the airspace of Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
Does the material stay good?
Unlike previous flights, this time the medical drone transports medical materials such as blood samples from patients. The flights are intended to answer various questions, such as whether the material will remain good during the flight. Clinical chemist Rutger Hengeveld explains, "Previous research showed that drones do not affect blood but that research involved blood from healthy people. Blood cells from leukaemia patients, for example, are more fragile and break down faster. It is important to know the effect of a drone on this blood, with all the fluctuations and air pressure differences. Clinical pharmacy is studying the same effect on medication."
Within Isala, the Clinical Chemical Laboratory and Clinical Pharmacy are closely involved in the test flights. They point to opportunities to concentrate more complex or less common (blood) tests in one location in the future, which could be an efficiency gain. An important condition for this is that medical material can be transported from one location to another in a fast and good way. The test Isala is now conducting may show whether a drone can be a suitable solution for this.
Standardising healthcare logistics
Rutger: "Drones can standardise this healthcare logistics. They reduce dependence on drivers, lower costs and help hospitals keep care accessible despite staff shortages."
In addition, the trial should also show how drones and other air traffic can safely use Dutch airspace together. An important issue as airspace is becoming increasingly crowded due to the increasing use of drones.
Image: Fernando Zhiminaicela via Pixabay
