Are flying maggots part of healthcare’s future?

When a patient in a remote community needs medical supplies from the closest major city, the path of least resistance might be use of a drone that can travel long distances.

Researchers from Griffith University have explored the potential for long endurance aircraft to support the provision of maggots used in maggot debridement therapy to remote locations.

The research team interviewed people who either have experience and expertise in the use of these drones or in the provision of healthcare to remote communities in Western Australia.

Nursing Review spoke with research lead and professor of humanitarian logistics at Griffith University, Dr Peter Tatham, about the potential benefits of using drones to deliver supplies over long distances, the role health staff would play in the operation and what it would take to see this use of drones take off.

Tatham can be contacted via the email address [email protected]. Adjunct research fellow and PhD candidate Frank Stadler can be reached via [email protected].

Get the news delivered straight to your inbox

Receive the top stories in our weekly newsletter Sign up now