A drone delivery network for medical specimens went into operation in Qingpu district on Aug 5, marking Shanghai's first regular district-wide aerial transport system to speed up laboratory testing of samples for residents.

The first operational route connects the Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital with Xiayang Community Health Service Center, filling a gap in city-level efforts to build comprehensive drone logistics for grassroots healthcare.

A medical drone completes specimen transport in roughly five minutes, far faster than ground transport. After samples are collected at community clinics, unmanned aircraft carry them to the medical testing center. Test results are recognized across all medical institutions in Qingpu, meaning residents no longer need to travel to major hospitals for blood draws and lab examinations.

Rolling out the system required overcoming multiple hurdles, including airspace approval, uneven facility conditions at community medical sites and a lack of established industry standards. Project teams surveyed all 14 health centers across Qingpu and adopted customized improvement plans for each location.

Operational safety controls include real-time weather monitoring that grounds drones during heavy rain or strong winds, and the aircraft are equipped with multi-layer obstacle avoidance and automatic return technology, said Wang Jinjin, executive director of the clinical laboratory at the Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital.

The hospital also released a full set of operational standards, safety protocols and emergency response rules to regulate every transport procedure as there were no proven precedents for district-wide drone medical transportation, Wang added.

Yan Xiaoyun, chief of the laboratory at Xiayang Community Health Service Center, said ground vehicle deliveries previously led to long waits for test reports, especially for urgent cases.

"Drones finish transport within five minutes. Emergency samples can be shipped anytime, greatly speeding up result releases for patients," Yan said.

Drone transport improves delivery efficiency by more than 50 percent compared with road transport, shortening waiting time and enabling faster diagnosis and treatment.

The system is now in pilot operation. Two pilot routes covering Xiayang and Liantang will be completed this year to refine procedures. Authorities aim to complete site upgrades and obtain airspace approvals for all grassroots medical facilities by 2027, capitalizing on the low-altitude economy to advance smart healthcare.

Source: Qingpu district government