Aalst (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – AZORG, formed from OLV and ASZ (Aalst) hospitals in Denderstreek, wants drones to move blood and tissue between sites, but strict UAS zone rules near Brussels Airport delay plans, says director Frank Staelens.
As VRT News reported, AZORG hospital, formed from OLV and ASZ (Aalst) hospitals in the Denderstreek region, Belgium, wants to try using drones to carry supplies like blood samples, pieces of human tissue and special tools needed for treatment between hospitals. The idea comes from a test in West Flanders, where drones are already being used to take medical goods from one hospital to another.
“Drones can be used for urgent and unforeseen transports, where road transport is less efficient,”
Explains Frank Staelens, director of innovation at AZORG Hospital.
What is blocking AZORG’s plan for medical drones?
AZORG says the plan to use drones is on hold because Belgium has very strict and complicated rules for flying them. Board member Staelens says the drones work well and tests show they can safely carry blood, tissue and other medical items, but the laws make it hard to start.
They mentioned that the biggest issue is the rules for drones that fly where the pilot cannot see them or over towns, which require many permits and safety steps. AZORG is asking the federal government to make the rules easier for hospitals so drones can save time, help patients faster and match projects already running in other places.
AZORG’s plan to use drones faces another hurdle because the Aalst hospital sites are right under the flight path for Brussels Airport. Thomas De Spiegelaere, who speaks for the Federal Public Service Mobility & Transport, says there are no places where drones are fully banned, but in some areas the rules are very tight. These spots are marked as geographic UAS zones, where drones can only fly if they follow limits on height, routes and special permits.
“We’re asking them to review the regulations and create room for innovative air transport methods, in other words, the transport of medical equipment by drone,”
Says Staelens.
According to officials, these UAS zones cover sensitive places such as airports, nuclear sites and military bases, where strict controls are needed for safety and security. The hospital network is asking for clearer rules that still keep flights safe but are easier to follow, and for some of the toughest limits in these zones to be eased so drones can help hospitals without delays caused by too much paperwork.
Earlier this year, 2 big hospitals in the Denderstreek area, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwziekenhuis (OLV) and the Algemeen Stedelijk Ziekenhuis Aalst (ASZ), joined together under one name, AZORG. The hospitals in Geraardsbergen and Ninove are now also part of this new group.
Since the merger, some services have been moved so that each is offered at only one site. Because of that, there is now a lot more moving of medical items each day between the different places.
