Drone use to ferry samples slashes TB diagnosis cost, time: ICMR

New Delhi: Using drones to transport sputum samples for tuberculosis (TB) tests can dramatically reduce both the cost and time involved in diagnosis, according to an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study. The pilot found that patients’ overall cost for the diagnosis fell from ₹9,451 on an average to ₹ ₹91, while the time taken to receive a laboratory report fell from 15 days to five.

The project was carried out under the i-DRONE initiative in the Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana to study how unmanned flight systems alter patient costs and laboratory delays in remote areas.

Under the India’s National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), the medical test itself is provided free of charge to the patient at public health facilities, and the high expenses of traditional transport use cover repeated travel, food, laboratory charges, and also the loss of daily wages for both the patients and their family members, who had to travel long distances to reach a laboratory. By shifting the collection process directly to nearby local clinics and using drones to fly the samples to central facilities, the heavy financial pressure was eliminated, the report said.

“Importantly, the study observed a substantial reduction in the financial burden borne by patients. The mean out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) associated with seeking TB diagnosis reduced from approximately ₹9,451 under the conventional transport system to around ₹91 during the drone-enabled phase,” the ICMR report said.

The diagnostic test in the context of the ₹91 cost figure is a molecular diagnostic test, specifically the cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification tests and Truenat assays.

“Notably, the median OOPE during the drone phase was zero, indicating that many participants incurred no travel-related expenses for diagnosis,” it said. “The intervention was implemented through a hub-and-spoke network connecting 11 Primary Health Centres, 60 sub-centres and four TB Units, allowing patients to submit sputum samples at health facilities nearer to their villages instead of travelling long distances to diagnostic centres.”

The shortened timeline to confirm the disease also allowed medical workers to put patients on medication much faster. “The diagnostic delays were also significantly reduced, enabling earlier confirmation of disease and facilitating faster clinical decision-making,” it said.

The initiative was taken up through a partnership between AIIMS Bibinagar, the local district TB office, and the National TB Elimination Programme. Researchers tracked 840 participants using a transport network that linked 11 primary health centres and 60 smaller sub-centres to four central testing facilities.

Highlighting the long-term value of these structural results, Dr. Rajiv Bahl, secretary of the department of health research and director general of ICMR, said that the study shows how technology can help bridge geographical barriers and reduce the burden on patients, particularly those living in remote areas. “The evidence generated through the i-DRONE initiative will help inform future public health innovations, while complementing existing healthcare delivery systems,” he said.

The integration of drones into healthcare delivery systems is expanding across India and the rest of the world.

In India, the central government and state authorities have deployed drones to deliver vaccines, life-saving medicines, and blood units to isolated communities in regions such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the northeastern states, where tough terrain makes roads slow or unusable.

International models show that regular drone deliveries improve maternal health survival rates and ensure that remote villages maintain steady vaccine stocks during seasonal floods.

The data gathered during the trial will provide a reference point for future healthcare logistics. ICMR indicated that the operational results will help shape future public health strategies while serving as a supportive framework alongside the existing physical medical infrastructure in the country.

Under its National TB Elimination Programme, India notified 26.07 lakh cases in 2024, while the 2025 global tuberculosis report confirmed a 21% decline in the country’s overall TB incidence rate.