AIIMS Bibinagar and ICMR Study Demonstrates Drone Technology Reducing TB Diagnosis Costs in Telangana

Key facts

• Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bibinagar and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) demonstrated that drones can reduce costs and delays in Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis in Yadadri-Bhongir district.
• The study was conducted under the ICMR i-DRONE initiative.
• Patient average pre-treatment Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) decreased from ₹9,451 to ₹90.90.
• The Median Turnaround Time (TAT) for test results was reduced from 15 days to 5 days.
• The study tracked 840 individuals, comprising 206 patients in the ground transport phase and 634 patients in the drone transport phase.
• The operational model utilised a hub-and-spoke system with AIIMS Bibinagar serving as the command centre.
• The drone network connected the District TB centre to 4 TB Units and 11 Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
• The findings were published in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Open and Digital Health in 2026.