Saudi Arabia announces successful trials of drone medicine delivery for Hajj pilgrims
Saudi Arabia has completed the pilot launch of drone-based medicine delivery between primary healthcare centres and hospitals in the holy sites.
The project represents the first initiative of its kind and aims to enhance the efficiency of healthcare services provided to pilgrims during the 1446 Hajj season, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.
The Makkah Health Cluster and the National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO) collaborated to ensure the supply of medicines and medical equipment to the holy sites using drones.
Saudi Arabia launches world's first drone medicine delivery system for Hajj pilgrims 2025
The initiative is designed to accelerate response times and support healthcare operations by delivering medicines and medical supplies during Hajj.
Mina Emergency Hospital received a drone delivery of ice packs used for treating heat exhaustion and sunstroke, as part of preparedness efforts coinciding with the start of the stoning ritual on the first day of Eid Al-Adha.
The initiative aligns with the healthcare system's commitment to creating a safe and healthy environment that enables pilgrims to perform their rituals with ease and comfort.
It reflects efforts to deliver world-class healthcare services in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
4 hours ago
- Zawya
KFSHRC Command Center atthe core of digital transformation and care excellence
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) has advanced healthcare efficiency through its Capacity Command Center, a strategic pillar in the hospital's digital transformation journey. The Center has significantly optimized hospital-wide performance while delivering more responsive, patient-centered care. Established to modernize operations and elevate care, the Center provides real-time visibility across the patient journey—from admission to discharge—powered by a locally developed color-coded alert system that flags bottlenecks and enables timely intervention. This has improved operational efficiency and patient experience by streamlining admissions, discharges, and transfers, resulting in faster recovery, better resource use, and smoother clinical handovers. Building on this foundation, the Center leverages AI and big data to forecast patient volumes, identify pressure points, and guide precise resource allocation. These capabilities are reinforced by ongoing technical reporting, data mining, and performance reviews that translate insights into continuous institutional improvement. These innovations have led to a 14% reduction in average length of stay (ALOS) and a 19% drop in emergency department congestion, boosting patient recovery, bed availability, and patient safety. In parallel, overall hospital activity grew, with new patient admissions increasing by 10.3% to 46,476 in 2024, reflecting enhanced throughput and capacity management. Central to KFSHRC's transformation agenda, the Command Center exemplifies how AI and real-time analytics enable predictive, evidence-based decisions, advancing its mission to deliver high-quality, specialized care through a scalable intelligent healthcare model. It is noteworthy that KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 15th globally in the list of the world's top 250 Academic Medical Centers for the third consecutive year and recognised as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East, according to the 2025 Brand Finance rankings. Additionally, it was included in the World's Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025 by Newsweek magazine. For more information, visit or contact our media team at mediacoverage@
The National
8 hours ago
- The National
UAE floating hospital brings Eid joy to Gaza patients
The UAE floating hospital in the Egyptian city of Al Arish held an event for children and patients from Gaza to mark Eid Al Adha, offering a moment of relief and celebration amid the trauma of war. Organised by medical staff, volunteers and support teams, the event featured face painting, games and the distribution of Eid gifts to patients and their families. The initiative aimed to provide psychological support, rehabilitative therapy and lift the spirits of those receiving care aboard the hospital vessel. 'The initiative is a testament to the hospital's humanitarian message to boost morality and happiness for patients and their families onboard of the vessel,' said Dr Omran Mohammed Alefari, director of the UAE floating hospital. 'It is important to provide a comprehensive medical and supportive environment for the patients, especially in such days.' The 100-bed floating hospital set sail from the UAE in February last year and docked in Al Arish port in Egypt as part of Operation Gallant Knight 3. Docked at the Egyptian port of Al Arish, it receives patients through the Rafah border crossing and is part of the broader humanitarian effort ordered by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed - serving as a lifeline for Palestinians affected by the conflict. Its humanitarian efforts are part of the UAE's mission to ease the suffering of the injured and sick amid the dire circumstances faced by Palestinians in Gaza. The hospital has provided medical services to thousands of patients since the launch of its services for Palestinian people. It has also performed more than 3,600 surgical procedures across specialities, provided physical therapy services to approximately 9,500 cases and fitted 23 prosthetic limbs for patients. The hospital was established by the UAE's Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Ports Authority group, and includes about 100 medical and administrative staff specialising in anaesthesia, general surgery, orthopaedics and emergency services.
Arabian Business
9 hours ago
- Arabian Business
Saudi Arabia announces successful trials of drone medicine delivery for Hajj pilgrims
Saudi Arabia has completed the pilot launch of drone-based medicine delivery between primary healthcare centres and hospitals in the holy sites. The project represents the first initiative of its kind and aims to enhance the efficiency of healthcare services provided to pilgrims during the 1446 Hajj season, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday. The Makkah Health Cluster and the National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO) collaborated to ensure the supply of medicines and medical equipment to the holy sites using drones. Saudi Arabia launches world's first drone medicine delivery system for Hajj pilgrims 2025 The initiative is designed to accelerate response times and support healthcare operations by delivering medicines and medical supplies during Hajj. Mina Emergency Hospital received a drone delivery of ice packs used for treating heat exhaustion and sunstroke, as part of preparedness efforts coinciding with the start of the stoning ritual on the first day of Eid Al-Adha. The initiative aligns with the healthcare system's commitment to creating a safe and healthy environment that enables pilgrims to perform their rituals with ease and comfort. It reflects efforts to deliver world-class healthcare services in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
