A drone carries blood supplies to the Taizhou Blood Center. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

On Dec 25, a milestone was achieved as medical supplies were transported from Hangzhou to Taizhou in just 2 hours through a "low-altitude + high-speed rail" approach, marking the country's first successful implementation of the innovative intercity transportation system.

The journey began at 9:26 am when a drone carrying blood supplies from the Blood Center of Zhejiang Province landed at Hangzhoudong Railway Station. Then the supplies were transported to Taizhou Railway Station by train and reached the Taizhou Blood Center by drone at 11:58.

This innovative initiative, spearheaded by Taizhou Communications Investment Group, signifies a significant leap in transportation efficiency. "This approach has an on-time rate exceeding 90 percent and can complete the journey between Hangzhou and Taizhou at least 1.5 hours faster than car transportation," said Fan Jijiang, deputy director of the group's low-altitude special office. 

At present, Taizhou has applied low-altitude delivery for a diverse array of medical supplies including blood products, emergency drugs, and test samples. It has also launched several low-altitude blood transportation routes within the city, including the line from the Taizhou Blood Center to Taizhou Municipal Hospital.

Chen Fuhai from the Health Commission of Taizhou emphasized the significance of the low-altitude economy in safeguarding public health and revealed plans to expand application scenarios to enhance healthcare accessibility and efficiency.