Wing and Apian launch drone medical delivery service trail in Dublin

Wing and Apian have partnered with Blackrock Health and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in Dublin along with healthcare technology company, Medtronic to launch a drone delivery trial demonstrating the benefits drones could offer in healthcare logistics.

Over the next few months, Wing and Apian will deploy drone delivery to carry medical supplies and devices to hospitals. The delivery service will commence with items including Medtronic’s ingestible camera, PillCamTM, sutures, surgical tools and heart valve repair products, with plans to expand to pacemakers and Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs) in the future. 

Currently, hospitals depend on road vehicles to transport medical supplies to hospitals or healthcare centres, but urban locations experience frequent delays due to congestion, as well as associated higher carbon emissions. Wing’s lightweight electric drones, which are being used in this programme, will fly direct routes at speeds up to approximately 100 km per hour, avoiding the traffic congestion on Dublin’s roads. The first deliveries will be received in Dublin’s Blackrock Clinic and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in the coming days. The project will be Ireland’s first ongoing medical device delivery service by drone. 

The initiative will start with up to 100 weekly flights. The partners have cooperated to implement the relevant safety mechanisms and are working closely with the Irish Aviation Authority to ensure these operations adhere to its operational standards.