The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), will launch a pilot drone-based medicine delivery service in Tawau, Sabah, to improve healthcare access for remote communities. The initiative forms part of the NADI Smart Services programme and aims to deliver medicines to residents of approximately 12 rural villages using drone technology. The project will be implemented in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the Sabah government and other public agencies.
The pilot is designed to reduce the need for patients to travel long distances to collect prescribed medicines, thereby lowering travel time and transportation costs. The service will complement the existing healthcare functions of the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) facilities, which currently serve as medicine collection points and provide basic health screening services such as blood pressure monitoring. Patients with abnormal health readings identified at these centres will continue to be referred to hospitals for further evaluation.
According to MCMC, the pilot will assess the operational feasibility of using drones to improve healthcare delivery in underserved rural areas. If successful, the commission plans to expand the programme to other regions with similar healthcare accessibility challenges while further enhancing NADI’s digital service offerings to improve access to public services for remote communities.