ES Reporter 

ZIRO, Dec 12: Following the successful initiation of the Medicine From The Sky (MFTS) program in Arunachal Pradesh on India’s 75thIndependence Day anniversary, the program reached a key milestone after the second district, Lower Subansiri was activated for drone deliveries.
The drone was flagged off by Alo Libang, Health Minister in the presence of  Tage Taki, Minister for Agriculture, Horticulture, etc. The event was facilitated by Department of Health & Family Welfare along with District Administration, World Economic Forum (WEF), Apollo Hospitals Healthnet Global, the Indian Air Force (Eastern Command) and the ATC Advance Landing Ground Ziro.The Medicine from the Sky program is a combined effort by the state government of Arunachal Pradesh and the World Economic Forum.
Alo Libang while expressing gratitude to Prime Minister  Narendra Modi for liberalizing drone regulatory policy and pushing for usage of drones for social impact conveyed that the State Government under the leadership of Chief Minister  Pema Khandu will launch drones-Medicine from the sky in other parts of the state based on the outcomes of these tests flights and on need basis.
While speaking on the occasion, Minister  Tage Taki said, “I strongly believe that use of drone technology for delivery of medicines will immensely contribute to healthy Arunachal.”
While conveying the significance of Universal Health Coverage Day, Dr. Nabam Peter CEO State Health Agency stated that drones for social impact -Medicine from the sky is in sync with the theme of this years’ Universal Health Coverage Day "Build the World We Want; A Healthy Future for all” and objective of National Health Policy-2017 to progressively achieve universal health coverage.
The success of the initiative in Arunachal Pradesh will act as a template for integrated drone solutions in similar terrain globally. “We would like this to be a 6 months plus initiative to ensure that the best operational, regulatory and engineering aspects are considered while mainstreaming MFTS," stated Dr. Ruma Bhargav, India Lead (Healthcare) of World Economic Forum on the occasion.
The drone operated by Tech Eagle took off from Ziro valley & landed in Chambang under Kra Daadi district. It took only 21 minutes to cover the aerial distance of 31 kms, whereas the road distance is close to 180 kms which usually takes around 8 hours to cover. This is the preminary launch of an extended exercise that will capture data points, qualitative aspects and the response to India’s health infrastructure when integrated with drones.
Over the next few months, drones carrying medicines for emergency uses, vaccines & blood samples will be transported from Ziro to health facilities in Kra Daadi district to overcome issues such as landslides and natural phenomenon that the Himalayan region is often subjected to. Further, the program will also explore how drones can provide on-demand medication, diagnostics and response to emergencies over the period.
Participating in the events, the Gaonburas and Gaonburis were excited and termed it as historic. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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