HealthPoint trials two-way medical-drone deliveries between Harare and Marondera

A drone carried medical supplies from Harare to Marondera and returned with a blood sample in a two-way delivery trial by HealthPoint and Drone Solutions. The reported 150-kilometre round trip took approximately 70 minutes, Pan African Visions reports.

The Kite Aero aircraft departed HealthPoint Hospital on Lanark Road in Belgravia, Harare, for HealthPoint’s Borradaile Hospital in Marondera. That outbound leg covered 76 kilometres. On the 74-kilometre return journey, it transported a blood sample for evaluation at HealthPoint’s Upper East Road Diagnostics Laboratories in Harare. The route was approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe.

A two-way route for supplies and specimens

The collaboration is assessing aerial logistics as an additional connection between the hospitals and the diagnostic laboratory. HealthPoint chief executive Peter Annesley said timely access to medical products was central to the work. Drone Solutions chief executive Jeremiah Musabayana said the intention was to complement conventional transport with a practical delivery option.

Drone Solutions reports a cargo capacity of up to four kilogrammes for the Kite Aero, a cruising speed of 120 kilometres per hour and a maximum speed of 200 kilometres per hour. Its stated maximum range is up to 277 kilometres under specified operating conditions, depending on payload, aircraft configuration and mission requirements.

The work remains a trial, with further assessment of operational feasibility subject to safety requirements and applicable regulatory approvals. The companies identify trained personnel, operational planning and regulatory compliance as central to that evaluation. The initiative builds on Drone Solutions’ partnership with Zimpost, launched in Plumtree on 10 October.