AeroAid: Drones for a more efficient Norwegian healthcare service

Norway's healthcare expenditure is affected by the country's unique geography. High mountains and numerous fjords mean that several rural areas are located a great distance away from hospitals and municipal centres. Long journeys increase patient risks and add a burden on patients and healthcare personnel making home visits. Geographical barriers also result in variations in delivery times and delays for transport of goods between hospitals and primary healthcare institutions, which can negatively affect timely diagnosis and treatment. Today, most delivery methods are ground-based, which are not adequate. Transportation is slowed by traffic, speed limits and infrequent departures. Finally, the last mile is the most expensive part of the supply chain and is responsible for 20-30% of some cities' CO2 emissions, making it a non-sustainable option. AeroAid addresses these problems by adapting existing drone delivery services to the needs of the healthcare system: an operational drone service for the healthcare sector. AeroAid will lead to a faster transportations, less pollution, lower costs and more flexibility in the daily life of healthcare providers. However, in order to implement such a service we must find the scenarios where drone deliveries actually make sense. This pre-project aims to revive a consortium spanning all four health regions of Norway, narrow down which use cases will have the most actual impact and address other feedback on the main project application.