The Luke Committee (TLC), a non-profit organization that provides free healthcare in the Kingdom Esvatinilaunched Eswatini’s first long-range medical drone network in partnership with Swoop Aeroa drone company based in Australia and Red lightningdisaster management agency.
Details
This network, based on TLC’s Miracle Campus on Sidvokodvobuilds on TLC’s two decades of work to build a strong supply chain for its healthcare network.
The Eswatini drone network uses the cutting edge of Swoop Aero KITE dronewith a range of 175 kilometers and a cruising speed of 122 km/h, enabling a four-kilogram payload to be quickly transported from the centrally located Miracle Campus to any point in Eswatini in less than 45 minutes.
Powered by powerful rechargeable batteries, KITE’s two-way capability enables reverse logistics for lab samples from remote health facilities to the Miracle Campus reducing supply chain costs for fuel and minimizing environmental impact.
Digging deeper
Serving 300,000 patients per year, TLC sees firsthand the tragic consequences of gaps in the national health supply chain. The new drone network integrates with Luvelloan innovative digital ecosystem piloted by TLC to close these last-mile gaps, bringing high-value products, medicines, cold chain items, vaccines, blood units, lab samples and other urgently needed items to patients and healthcare workers of health throughout Esvatini.
The drone program is staffed by local pilots and ground crew, embodying TLC’s commitment to developing local capabilities.
Five Emaswati have been trained as pilots, ensuring that this transformative technology is managed by Emaswati, for Emaswati.
What they say
“For the first 11 years of TLC’s history, my husband and I worked in rural areas alongside TLC’s dedicated team, bringing our children with us to mobile hospitals as we worked to bring compassionate, comprehensive health care to underserved communities,” he said Echo Vanderwalexecutive director of TLC.
TLC has worked closely with Eswatini Civil Aviation Authority (ESWCAA) meet all regulatory requirements.
“We are grateful to the UPS Foundation, Swoop Aero, Red Lightning and ESWACAA for making this launch possible” said Eco. “Their collaboration has led us to our vision to end the isolation of underserved communities in quality health care.”
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