An Ontario paramedic service is turning to drone technology in an effort to get life-saving medical equipment to patients faster during emergencies.
Peel Regional Paramedic Services is launching a medical drone pilot program that will deploy equipment such as automated external defibrillators, epinephrine auto-injectors and essential medications directly to people in need while paramedics are on their way.
The program, which begins this month, is intended to improve access to critical equipment in time-sensitive emergencies, particularly in rural and remote areas where geography can delay access to medical supplies.
Regional officials say the drones are designed to support residents during the critical minutes before paramedics arrive, not replace emergency responders.
“In emergencies such as sudden cardiac arrest, opioid overdose, or severe allergic reactions, every second counts,” Peel Regional Paramedic Services service said in a statement.
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Under the pilot, bystanders would receive guidance from trained paramedics and emergency dispatchers on how to use equipment delivered by a drone until emergency crews arrive on scene.
Residents who call 911 for a time-sensitive medical emergency may have a drone dispatched to their location, depending on factors such as location, timing, weather conditions and drone availability. Emergency communications operators will advise callers if a drone has been sent.
The program is being launched by Peel Regional Paramedic Services, which serves Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon west of Toronto.
The initiative builds on research dating back to 2017, when the service joined a study led by Dr. Sheldon Cheskes, medical director at the Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine. The study also focuses on rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Ontario.