A drone carried vaccinations to residents of Manipur’s ‘floating islands’ in Loktak Lake, becoming India the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. ‘Floating islands’ are pieces of hardened algae floating in Manipur’s Moirang district’s freshwater lake.
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The vaccines were successfully supplied from Manipur’s Bhishnupur to Karang Island via Loktak Lake by the country’s leading medical authority, the ICMR. Officials intend to use drones to distribute vaccinations to two other districts in Manipur in the following days.
Officials said the completely ‘Made-in-India’ drone flew in autonomous mode from the Bishnupur District Hospital and arrived at the Karang Health Centre, about 31 kilometers distant, in only 15 minutes. This route takes approximately four hours by car.
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“The ICMR’s plan for a “drone-based vaccination delivery system” in North-Eastern India was discussed. It typically takes 3-4 hours to go this distance “Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Health Minister, sent out a tweet. According to the minister, drone technology will speed up last-mile deliveries of hospital supplies.
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