The Luohu Hospital Group uses drones to transport medical test samples.

The Luohu Hospital Group will use drones to transport medical test samples, the group said.

This move will make the cooperation among its branches much closer and improve the whole system's work efficiency, particularly in COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control work.

The trial of the practice was first conducted on May 19. A drone flew from the affiliated Luohu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine to the group's medical test center in Jibu, 13.7 kilometers away by road. The whole process took about 15 minutes to cover a flight distance of about 8.4 kilometers.

Center Director Zhang Xiuming said: "The drone is not affected by traffic congestions, and can fly at a speed of about 60 kph and it saves about 50 percent to 60 percent of the time."

After that, the trial was carried out for seven days in a row proving that the practice was workable, and would make the group the first using drones to deliver medical test samples in China.

The group has five hospitals and 34 community health rehabilitation centers, and its medical test center is located in Jibu. Before the drone was adopted, medical test samples were transported to the test center by road.

The drone the group is using can carry five kilograms of goods, and that means it can carry more than 200 samples in a cold insulation box. It can plan the routes through use of the 5G network, and realize automatic control and accurate navigation.

The group also designates two sides on the route as reserved spots for forced landing of the drone to ensure transport safety.

The drone services can be available 24 hours a day. And its non-contact and swiftness make the drone services ideal choice for transporting COVID-19 test samples.

Sun Xizhuo, president of the group, said that the Luohu Hospital Group would accelerate construction of the drone transport network for the delivery of medical test samples in Luohu, and consider expanding its application in the future to improve the efficiency of medical services.