MERAQUE Services Sdn Bhd (Meraque), a Malaysian drone tech company, has successfully partnered with Pharmaniaga Bhd to deliver critical medicines to flood victims across Kuala Langat using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
The floods caused by heavy rains displaced tens of thousands of residents and left roads, access to medical facilities and hospitals inundated. This caused many people to be stranded with no access to essential items and healthcare services.
On Dec 22, four drones led by Meraque’s team of pilots took to the skies for three days, delivering critical medical supplies by Pharmaniaga to over 30 homes within the vicinity of Bandar Seri Ehsan in Banting.
The drones flew over 8.6km – equivalent to over 25km using actual road access – carrying 15kg in payload and travel up to 20km.
“When the flood happened, we were contacted by government agencies who were coordinating relief efforts. We leapt into action to do our part,” recalled Meraque’s CEO Md Razalee Ismail. “We got together with our partner Pharmaniaga who immediately deployed their team to support this effort.”
In ensuring the safety and security of the unmanned air services during the three-day flood-relief initiative, Meraque and Pharmaniaga worked closely with Malaysia’s technical regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and Malaysia Civil Defence Force (MCDF) who ensured that all necessary safety requirements and regulations were met.
“The successful drone deployment and delivery of medicines is proof of concept of the use of drones in pharmaceutical-grade medical delivery,” asserted Md Razalee. “Even with unfavourable weather conditions, geographical challenges and limited landing space, this operation proved to be a success.”
Above all else, drone usage is more cost and time effective if compared to traditional emergency modes of delivery without compromising on safety, efficacy and quality of the medicines by maintaining product temperature specification.
“Drones for medical delivery use are becoming widely accepted across the globe and are rapidly revolutionising the healthcare landscape by making faster delivery of critical life-saving medicines,” noted Md Razalee.
“In Malaysia, not only can drones be deployed in emergency situations but they can also be used for more rapid instances to deliver vaccines and medications to remote areas more speedily.”
Meraque is currently a participating company in the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) spearheaded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).
The company develops local talents that build their own hybrid drone spraying solutions for the agriculture sector as well as customised enterprise software solutions and bespoke services for clients such as Sime Darby Plantation Bhd, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBK), Boustead Holdings Bh and Pharmaniaga. – Jan 6, 2022
