Across China: China's Tianjin launches drone route for medical delivery

TIANJIN -- Shen Jun, executive director of the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital's Binhai branch, recounts the sight of a black drone descending into the hospital's courtyard last week with excitement.

He described the movie-like scene as a significant transformation in emergency medical support for Tianjin, a northern municipality with a population of 13.64 million.

On May 21, a black six-rotor drone carrying simulated emergency blood supplies ascended from the Tanggu central blood station in Tianjin's Binhai New Area to zip through the morning haze.

About 20 minutes later, it landed with pinpoint accuracy at the hospital, marking the successful trial test of Tianjin's first low-altitude medical drone delivery route -- a milestone in the municipality's push to harness "low-altitude health care" for an accelerated, smarter emergency response process.

The historic flight, witnessed by hospital executives, blood station leaders and biomedical enterprise representatives, demonstrated how unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could redefine medical logistics.

Typically, ground transport between the blood station and the hospital involves a 23-kilometer detour to bypass chronic traffic congestion, delaying the delivery of critical supplies. Drones are a game changer.

"These airborne lifelines slash emergency response times, providing patients with a stronger barrier between life and death," Shen said.

With a 5-kilogram payload capacity, temperature-controlled medical containers, and real-time position tracking capabilities, the UAVs ensure blood products remain stable despite changes in weather.

A command center monitors flight paths, temperatures and safety protocols throughout each journey.

Tianjin's medical delivery innovation reflects China's accelerating adoption of drone technology to overcome logistical hurdles and improve its health care ecosystem.

With drone applications spanning the agriculture, disaster relief and e-commerce sectors, the medical delivery arena holds significant potential.

In recent years, provinces like Guangdong, Zhejiang and Sichuan have piloted blood delivery networks.

In 2023, South China's tech hub of Shenzhen established a routine drone blood delivery system. By the end of 2024, the system had transported 4,412 kilograms of blood products, including red blood cells, platelets and cryoprecipitate.

Since 2024, Hangzhou, the capital of East China's Zhejiang province, has been normalizing low-altitude blood delivery methods. Its Yuhang district aims to introduce over 20 new routes by the end of 2025, covering all local hospitals and grassroots medical institutions.

In the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, Longquanyi district launched a routine low-altitude medical supply delivery project in 2024, aiming to serve public health centers in its township clinics.

Tianjin has now joined this vanguard, leveraging its strengths in oncology and biopharmaceuticals.

The Tianjin hospital plans to extend its drone routes, linking its campuses, drug research institutes and communities. Future flights will transport medications, lab samples and emergency supplies, transforming coordination between campuses, Shen said.