The pilot, led by Duc Giang General Hospital in coordination with Vietnam Post, marks the country’s first application of low-altitude aviation combined with postal services for medical purposes.
The programme aims to improve healthcare logistics by cutting transfer times and boosting responsiveness, particularly in congested urban areas and urgent cases.
The medical transport drones meet safety and regulatory standards and are equipped with real-time monitoring cameras. They have a cruising speed of up to 60 kilometres per hour and an operating range of about 15 kilometres.
A trial flight covering the roughly 8-kilometre route between Duc Giang General Hospital and Gia Lam General Hospital took about 10 minutes.
The drones can take off and land vertically and operate below an altitude of 120 metres. Flights follow predefined routes and are closely monitored to comply with aviation security and urban airspace regulations.
Cargo compartments are sealed to ensure hygiene and safety. Each route is expected to operate two flights a day, with additional aircraft and frequencies deployed in urgent cases, subject to regulatory approval.
The pilot aircraft are expected to be upgraded to extend their range to about 20 kilometres and increase payload capacity to around 10 kilogrammes.
Nguyen Trong Dien, director of the Hanoi Health Department, said the pilot demonstrated how digital technologies could be more effectively applied in healthcare, helping build a modern system aligned with public needs.
He added that the drones could improve access to healthcare by linking grassroots facilities with higher-level hospitals. Operators involved in the programme have undergone specialised training to ensure safe operation.
