Rotunda Hospital and Manna have simulated medical drone flights in Dublin, which demonstrated how urgent deliveries of medical supplies, blood and pathology samples can be quickly transported between the city centre hospital and Connolly Hospital approximately 9km away in Blanchardstown.
Each drone is capable of making eight trips per hour. John O’ Loughlin, laboratory manager at Rotunda Hospital said the ability to move blood, samples and other critical supplies between hospitals at speed could transform emergency and planned care in Ireland.
Manna said that the technology is ready to provide medical drone deliveries and the Irish airspace framework supports such priority use cases. Ongoing, live operations between hospitals would need regulatory approval before becoming commonplace.
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