Reprinted: St. Kitts & Nevis Observer 8-29-2025
Guyana is moving ahead with a bold plan to use drones for delivering blood and other urgent medical supplies across the country.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said the system will be running nationwide within six months. It will help save lives by cutting delays in getting blood to hospitals, especially in far-off places like Port Kaituma, Lethem, and Crabwood Creek.
The drones will link directly with the national blood bank. This means emergency supplies can reach patients in record time, no matter where they are.
The announcement came during the opening of a new regional hospital at Number 75 Village, East Berbice–Corentyne.
The project is part of a wider digital upgrade to Guyana’s health services. This includes electronic health records, AI-assisted diagnosis, and expanding telemedicine to 200 remote sites.
“This will be live within six months. The future of medicine is digital, and Guyana is not being left behind,” President Ali said.
Medical drones fly mostly on their own using pre-set routes, but a person still watches the flight on a screen and can step in if needed. They use mobile networks like 4G or 5G, or satellite and radio, so they can travel hundreds of kilometers, even to very remote places.
The drones being used for health care usually carry between 4 and 6 kilograms. That is enough for several units of blood plus a special cooler. Blood has to stay cold to be safe, so the drones carry insulated boxes with ice packs or other cooling materials. These boxes are tested to keep the right temperature for the whole trip.
Different types of blood products need different care. Red cells are kept just above freezing, plasma needs to stay frozen, and platelets are often sent only for shorter trips.
To cover long distances, the system can use hubs where drones land, recharge, or pass the package on to another flight. This way, supplies can reach almost any hospital quickly and safely.
The programme will be one of the first of its kind in the Caribbean and places Guyana ahead in tech-driven healthcare.