A pilot project using drones to deliver medicines in Tawau, Sabah is expected to begin around September or October as part of efforts to improve healthcare access for rural communities.
The initiative, led by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in collaboration with the Health Ministry, will expand the role of the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) in providing essential services to the public.
MCMC NADI Office head Dr Mohd Arif Adenan said the project under the NADI Smart Services programme is expected to benefit residents in around 12 villages, particularly those in remote areas who face challenges in obtaining regular medicine supplies.
He said the programme would be carried out with the involvement of the Health Ministry, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), Sabah government and other relevant agencies through a whole-of-government approach to ensure safe and efficient operations.
“The initiative will reduce the burden of travelling to collect medicines while helping patients save time and transportation costs, especially those living far from healthcare facilities,” he told Bernama.
Mohd Arif said a Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) study found that many residents in Sabah’s interior areas need to travel between 20 and 30 kilometres to reach hospitals, with transportation expenses among the main challenges affecting healthcare access.
He added that MCMC would look into expanding the drone medicine delivery service to other areas with similar needs if the pilot project achieves its objectives.
Currently, medicine delivery services through Pos Malaysia are available, with NADI centres acting as community collection points for residents.
Mohd Arif said NADI centres also provide basic health screening services, including regular monitoring such as blood pressure checks, to help reduce unnecessary hospital visits.
“If patients record abnormal health readings, NADI will immediately connect them with the relevant hospital for further assessment,” he said.
He explained that the initiative reflects MCMC’s efforts to transform NADI from a digital connectivity centre into a wider community service hub that provides access to important government and public services.
On NADI’s future expansion, Mohd Arif said MCMC does not plan to increase the number of physical centres as the one-state constituency, one-NADI policy has already ensured every state constituency has at least one centre.
Instead, the focus will be placed on expanding NADI 2.0 virtual services to reach communities located further away, based on a Merdeka Centre study showing most users are located within one to two kilometres of existing centres.
He added that MCMC is also studying the possibility of extending NADI services to areas without existing facilities, including military camps and police barracks where there is demand for digital services and community development programmes.
Mohd Arif said international recognition from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), including the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Award in Geneva last year and its recognition as the 16th ITU Digital Transformation Centre this year, has opened opportunities for wider global cooperation.
NADI also plans to introduce more micro-credential courses with international partners such as Cisco and Hewlett Packard (HP), allowing rural youths to gain industry-recognised certifications that could improve their employment opportunities.
