BEIJING: China is rapidly integrating drone technology into its medical emergency systems, with breakthroughs in multiple cities demonstrating enhanced efficiency in critical care logistics.
North China’s Tianjin Municipality launched its first medical drone route in late May, marked by a successful simulated emergency blood supply test flight. The flight connected a blood station at the Binhai New Area and the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital’s Binhai branch.
“The drone route creates an emergency blood lifeline for patients in critical conditions,” said Shen Jun, vice president of the hospital.
Carrying a 5kg payload, the drone is equipped with a temperature-controlled medical box that allows for temperature, location and flight status monitoring in real-time. Its efficient point-to-point delivery avoids delays caused by road traffic, saving precious time for emergency treatment.
Amid the rapid growth of China’s low-altitude economy, low-altitude medical services, as a niche sector, are expanding their applications, driving an unprecedented transformation in healthcare.
In November 2024, the National Healthcare Security Administration added “air medical transport” to the national medical service price catalog, mandating standardized pricing in the country’s provincial areas by the end of May this year. Commercial health insurance providers are also encouraged to explore coverage for these services. The guideline has accelerated the adoption of low-altitude aircraft in medical applications.
Bolstered by technology and policy support, Chinese provinces like Zhejiang, Guangdong and Fujian are actively exploring the application of drones in their medical systems, transporting test samples, blood, emergency supplies and medicine, which are crucial for saving critical treatment times.
In the city of Zigong, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, drones have become a routine part of medical services. –Agencies
