KATHMANDU: Drones have been used to take the patients’ samples to the laboratory and administer antibiotics in remote areas of Nepal.  The Drone-Optimized Therapy System has made test flights in the mountainous district of Piuthan in order to collect samples and deliver the diagnosis and treatment to the patients who live in villages.

The drone flies to medical posts in the mountains and takes the samples to the hospital in Swargadwari municipality and the public health center in Piuthan, Nepali Times reported.

Patients receive the treatment in boxes containing smart pills that issue electronic reports on whether the patients took the antibiotics or not.

A pilot project using the drones will be used only to collect the samples from remote villages.