Is There A Future For Drones In Healthcare?

The threat COVID has posed ever since it first appeared influenced how healthcare operates on many levels. It triggered a rapid expansion in health technology – some obvious, like the rise of telemedicine or at-home lab tests, others filled a much-needed immediate void. The demand for safe solutions inclined the development of robotic support in hospitals – and drones.

I must admit, I expected the rise of drone-based solutions years ago (and I wasn’t alone with my expectations). By now, we are just at the very beginning of using drones in healthcare. And still, even now, when COVID-19 clearly showed the necessity for them, drones don’t seem to break through and stay with us in the new normal.

In a UNICEF guidance note, the organisation identifies three basic types of potential use cases for drones:
(1) delivery and transportation; (2) aerial disinfection, and (3) public space monitoring. During the pandemic, we have seen examples for all three cases – and more. Let’s see what the options are for drones in the future.