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Drones slash TB diagnosis cost from ₹9,451 to ₹91, ICMR study finds
An ICMR pilot in Telangana cut the cost of TB diagnosis to ₹91 and reduced wait times to five days by using drones to ferry samples from local clinics to central labs.
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Using drones to ferry sputum samples from remote clinics to central labs cut the average cost of a TB diagnosis from ₹9,451 to ₹91 and shortened the wait for a lab report from 15 days to five, according to an Indian Council of Medical Research study.
The pilot, run under the i-DRONE initiative in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana, covered 840 patients across a hub-and-spoke network linking 11 Primary Health Centres, 60 sub-centres and four TB Units. The study tracked out-of-pocket expenses and turnaround times for molecular diagnostic tests – cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification tests and Truenat assays – that are provided free under India's National TB Elimination Programme.
The high cost under the traditional system came from repeated travel, food, lab charges and lost daily wages for patients and family members who had to cover long distances to reach a diagnostic centre. By shifting sample collection to local clinics and using drones for the middle-mile haul to central labs, those expenses nearly vanished.