Drones to deliver emergency medical supplies

Drones will be deployed to deliver urgent blood supplies and essential medical items across the country, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced on Friday during the commissioning of the state-of-the-art Number 75 Hospital in Berbice.

Addressing the public, Ali said, “Drones will work in an interconnected way with our blood banks so that if blood is urgently required, it can be deployed immediately, saving time, saving lives and growing efficiency.”

The initiative is part of a broader plan to modernise Guyana’s healthcare system and ensure medical services are accessible in every region, including the most remote communities.

“This is not three years from now— this is not one year from now, this is six months from now,” President Ali said.

The drone delivery system will complement ongoing government efforts to expand digital health infrastructure, including electronic health records and artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostics. Ali said the upgrades will allow “patients’ information [to] follow them from Port Kaituma to Georgetown, from Lethem to Berbice.”

The move positions Guyana among the few countries in the Caribbean adopting drone technology to enhance emergency medical services.

“We are bringing tomorrow’s medicine today,” President Ali concluded, highlighting the government’s commitment to transforming healthcare across all regions of Guyana.