ENGL 210 502

Improving Emergency Healthcare Accessibility

Using Medical Drones

Zeinab Ataya UIN: 425001224

Ahmad Al-Sadi UIN: 724006589

Yamen Zaza UIN: 924007663

Ali Al-Ansari UIN: 324006534

Submission Date: 2nd of February 2017

Professor: Amy Hodges

 Table of Contents

1.0 Overview............................................................................................................ 3
2.0 - Significance of Problem...................................................................................... 4
3.0 - Proposed Solution............................................................................................... 5
3.1 Procedure.......................................................................................................... 5
3.2 - Specialized Drones.......................................................................................... 6
3.3 - Key Features of the Medical Drones:...............................................................7
i) Auto-Pilot.......................................................................................................... 7
ii) GPS Flight Assistance....................................................................................... 7
iii) Coming Home.................................................................................................. 7
iv) Camera........................................................................................................... 7
v) Motion Detector............................................................................................... 8
vi) Electric Powered.............................................................................................. 8
vii) Weather Adaptability...................................................................................... 8
3.4 - Target Market.................................................................................................. 8
4.0 - Design Constraints........................................................................................... 10
4.1 - Battery.......................................................................................................... 10
4.2 - Weather conditions....................................................................................... 10
4.3 - Privacy.......................................................................................................... 10
5.0 - Current Drones in the Market...........................................................................11
5.1- Allied Drones [11]........................................................................................... 11
5.2 - DJI Matrice 600 Pro [12]................................................................................ 11
5.3 - Flytrex Sky [13]............................................................................................. 12
6.0 - Benefits of Emergency Medical Drones............................................................12
6.1 - Efficiency....................................................................................................... 12
6.2 Convenience................................................................................................. 12
6.3 - Accessibility.................................................................................................. 13
7.0 Data Collection................................................................................................... 14
7.1 - Survey........................................................................................................... 15
7.2 - Question Selection........................................................................................ 15
7.3 - Survey Results............................................................................................... 16
8.0 - Future Development Opportunities..................................................................21
9.0 References....................................................................................................... 22
10.0 Appendix........................................................................................................ 24

1.0 Overview
Like many places which use automobiles as the main method of transport,
Qatar is commonplace to road accidents. The Ministry of Development
Planning and Statistics released monthly statistics highlighting that fatal road
accidents claimed the lives of 80 people across Qatar over the first half of
2016 [1]. According to Dr. Rafael Consunji, a Trauma Surgery Section Injury
Prevention director from Hamad General Hospital (HGH), 71% of these
deaths happen on the scene of the accident [2]. As a result, to reduce the
number of fatalities; medical drones are the next step towards improving
emergency healthcare accessibility and resolving a serious and ongoing
issue in Qatar.

Another issue which has caught the attention of international news outlets
and safety organizations such as Amnesty International, is the increasing
number of accidents and deaths occurring at construction sites [3]. By
implementing medical drones, we can ensure that the number of fatal
accidents will decrease due to a faster response rate to emergencies. In
addition, medical drones can be very useful when being sent to construction
sites where the accident happens at elevated locations which would take
longer to reach if pursued by other methods.

Improving healthcare accessibility using medical drones can help progress

the industry and improve its efficiency when dealing with fatal accidents that
could save seconds of an individuals life. Medical drones are revolutionary
and this report is just the beginning towards developing smart technologies
that can benefit and improve our lives.
2.0 - Significance of Problem
The two most popular methods of reacting to a 999 alert, are van-based
ambulances and helicopter ambulances, each of which poses their own flaws
over time. In the Gulf, van-based ambulances suffer from severe traffic
congestion, especially during the day. According to Gulf News, the ignorance
of many motorists on the street is becoming a larger problem every day,
which in turn has led to the start of many campaigns in Qatar and Dubai [4].
They explain further that the sight of an ambulance stuck on a busy road is a
recurring scene, signaling how some lives are put in danger due to mere
traffic.

On the other hand, Air Ambulance services can only be dispatched to reach
otherwise isolated areas or to aid patients that are in extremely urgent
cases. Also, the topic of when to dispatch a helicopter ambulance remains a
highly debated topic among the various emergency medical service (EMS)
providers, as pointed out and studied extensively by the American College of
Emergency Physicians [5].

Not only that, but the request for immediate assistance through 999 is not
always justified. Too often, many resources are invested in cases that
wouldve easily been dealt with were there other forms of service. Karen
Auge, a Denver Post reporter, talks about this conflict in detail. According to
Auge, many emergency calls arent emergencies at all but are medical
situations best handled in a doctors office [6]. Yet again, we see this trend
not only evident in the more Western part of the world, but right in the heart
of the Gulf region. The Peninsula, in a recent post, claims that the Qatari EMS
receives 5,000 to 6,000 calls per day, 80% of which are non-urgent [7].
Although Qatar has taken steps to resolve such arising issues, such as
introducing special ambulances that are meant to take care of patients
mobility and non-urgent use, the conflict with traffic in this small country still
hinders many of those well-intentioned programs.

Also, most of those vehicles are used to transport patients that are already
being taken care of in one hospital or to offer pre-registered assistance [8].
There is no success to be found of a service that offers simultaneous and
immediate medical assistance to patients throughout the country.

The problems of cost, traffic, drivers ignorance, and non-urgent assistance

requests remain unsolved problems in an increasingly technological world.

3.0 - Proposed Solution

One of the visions of Qatar 2030 is for Qatar to significantly improve its
healthcare sector. Thus, to enhance the efficiency and functionality of
medical services, our company Q-Drones is introducing Specialized
Emergency Medical Drones to achieve this vision. When developing our
drone technology, we do not aim to replace ambulances all together because
in some cases, the individual needs to be relocated to a hospital for further
aid. Rather the drones would be used complimentary to ambulances when
necessary. The drones would be used in cases such as:

1. When there is no need for ambulance/medical personnel to be at the

scene like non-urgent emergencies
2. When an accident is life-threatening and the drone could be sent out
to reach the scene earlier (to offer the needed medication) before an
ambulance can arrive.

The first few minutes after an accident are critical and it is vital to provide
the correct medical attention to thwart further complications. Thus,
accelerating the response rate is one of the core goals of our project.
3.1 Procedure
The image below shows the operation cycle of an emergency medical drone.
It explains the necessary steps when responding to an emergency.

When the emergency department is notified with a serious accident, the

appropriate medical drone would be sent out to the specified location within
8-10 minutes travelling at speeds up to 45 mph, 400ft above the ground. The
specifications of our drones are designed to be similar to match those which
are currently competitive in the market such as the Allied Drones HL48
"Chaos" and the DJI Matrice 600 Pro.

3.2 - Specialized Drones

To enhance the functionality of the medical drones, different medical drones
can be manufactured to serve specific cases. For example, an individual
suffering from cardiac arrest can be sent a drone containing a CPR kit. The
advantage towards having specialized drones is reducing the load of the
drone so that it could travel at a faster velocity.

Each of the medical drones could carry up to 6 Kg of aid which can include
lifesaving technologies, such as:
 Specific medication
Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Emergency Allergy Shots
General First-Aid Kits

Almost all individuals in Qatar have healthcare identifications (it is required

by law for most sponsors to offer healthcare assistance to its employees).
Thus, if patients set up specific files with their healthcare provider; when
faced with an accident and an emergency call is made for that person, the
operator at the health center can look up the medical files to know which
medication to send out (important factors like if the individual suffers any
diseases or has certain allergies) which helps speeds the emergency process.

3.3 - Key Features of the Medical Drones:

To ensure an easy-to-use user experience, we have developed certain
features that would improve the functionality of our medical drones. All our
features play an important role with transporting medical equipment from
the medical center to the desired location. For example, our motion detector
and durable carbon fibre material helps avoid collision with other objects in
the air hence protecting the drone from potential incoming damage. We have
avoided unnecessary features such as solar paneling to avoid adding bulk to
our drones and which would require increased power output which the
battery couldnt offer unless the flight time is compensated.

i) Auto-Pilot
The medical drones are autonomous, which means that they can operate
freely without the need for human interaction. This gives way for multiple
drones to be flown at once without worrying about having an active team
flying all the drones which reduces costs on human resources and training.

Autonomous drones are also free from human error which can significantly
reduce the chances of accidents. However, when needed, an operator can
choose to control the drone when problems arise such as a fault with the
navigation system.
ii) GPS Flight Assistance
The advanced navigation software allows the drone to take the most optimal
route towards the desired location in order to reduce the flight time. The
system also instructs the drone where to fly (avoiding passing over private
property), at what height and what speed.

iii) Coming Home

The feature allows the drone to automatically fly back directly to the medical
center through radio control after it has delivered the necessary aid.

iv) Camera
A camera would be attached to the drone to facilitate multiple tasks. The
main task of the camera is to provide instructions to the people at the
accident scene. Along with a built-in speaker, an operator could instruct the
individual the steps regarding how to use any of the equipment. The
secondary task of the camera is to monitor traffic when flying to the
accidents location so that if an ambulance is needed, it could indicate which
roads are best to avoid due to traffic.

v) Motion Detector
The motion detector analyzes the drones surroundings around a five-meter
radius to avoid any mid-air collisions that would disrupt the flight or
damage any of the components.

vi) Electric Powered

This is a resourceful method of powering the drone without causing much
harm to the environment. The batteries are rechargeable (have a 50-minute
battery life) and contain fiber-optic like wires to ensure efficient energy
transfer and immediate responses to the operator. In addition, there is a
secondary battery pack plugged to the drone in case the drone was flying for
a longer period. *See section 4.1 under design constraints for more
information.
vii) Weather Adaptability
The carbon fiber material covering the drone is waterproof so that it could
tolerate rainy conditions as well as being able to withstand strong winds and
to some extent, lighting strikes.

3.4 - Target Market

Since our product is strictly focused on the healthcare sector, our ideal target
market will be the various emergency medical centers scattered across
Doha, Qatar. Medical drones will be a beneficial addition to the emergency
team as they are more effective and have a faster response rate (8-10
seconds response time) when compared with ambulances (10-15 minutes)
and medical personnel [9]

Also, it is important to note that not all the listed medical centers can
dispatch ambulances. This is because not every medical center has the
necessary capital and human resources to facilitate an emergency service.
Thus, medical drones are a convenient alternative as they do not require
much resources and cost very little (30,000 Riyals) when compared to a van-
ambulance (250,000+ Riyals). *See section 6.0 which explains more benefits
as to why drones are better than their current counterparts.

The picture below shows all the medical centers currently available around
Qatar.
 The Medical Centers Which Offer Emergency Services

Our initial aim is to provide 5 drones to the main medical center (Hamad
Medical Center) and study how much they are used and how effective they
are. Hamad Medical Center was chosen as the likely candidate for our study
because it is the main healthcare center in Qatar and it receives the most
emergencies per day [9]. Once a full analysis has been conducted for a
period of 6 months, a data report can be produced and shared with the rest
of the medical centers to potentially convince them to buy the product.

The report will focus on the effectiveness of the medical drones. Our criteria
for effectiveness are:

The number of successful uses of the medical drones

Success rate ratio of whether the drones created an impact when being
sent in conjunction with an ambulance
The speed and time it takes for the drone to arrive at an accident
Patient will be surveyed whether an operator offering instructions
through the drone (during non-drastic injuries) is an alternative to
medical personnel being present at the scene
In addition, our product will be showcased in the next Healthcare Convention
to attract and convince further the medical centers that medical drones are
next step towards improving emergency healthcare accessibility while also
looking for potential investors and suppliers.

The market for this product not only serves for emergency circumstances but
the scope can range to medical deliveries (blood supplies) and search and
rescue missions whereby the drones can be used to aid firefighters and
emergency personnel to rescue people in danger.

4.0 - Design Constraints

4.1 - Battery
A team of electrical and chemical engineers developed a highly durable
lithium polymer battery that can last up to 50 minutes. However, the voltage
and current of the batteries varies according to the range and weight load
capacity of the drone. The voltage and the current can go up to 22.2 V and
22,000 mAh [10].

4.2 - Weather conditions

The drones are made of carbon fiber which protects their body from corrosion
and different weather conditions such as rain or dust. Also, the course of the
drone is not affected by severe weather changes such as dust, rain, or wind
as they are controlled by a GPS system that accurately leads them to the
right destination.

4.3 - Privacy
Qatar has a restriction on the flight of drones within public and private
spaces. Since this project is operated by public corporations which are
supervised by the government, the restriction doesnt apply here. Even so,
we have initially thought that the citizens of Qatar would be concerned about
drones flying over their houses due to privacy evasions, but the survey we
conducted showed that the issue was insignificant.
 5.0 - Current Drones in the Market
Below are three drones are which acquire the best specifications in the
current market. Our aim is to develop technologies that would compete with
these drones. Since our drones are non-commercial and will be used for
medical purposes, the specifications can be improved further to satisfy our
main goal.

5.1- Allied Drones [11]

Maximum Flight Time

Weight Load Capacity
Connection Range
Feature Specification
Price $ 20,000
Dimensions 1574.8 x 1574.8 x
457.2 mm
45 minutes 6.8
Body Carbon Fiber
20 Km
Kg
Material
Speed 13.4 m/s
5.2 - DJI Matrice 600 Pro [12]

Maximum Flight Time

Weight Load Capacity
ConnectionSpecification
Feature Range
Price $ 5000
Wingspan 1668 x 1518 x 727
mm
Body Carbon Fiber
32 minutes 6 5 Km
Material
Kg
Speed 17 m/s

5.3 - Flytrex Sky [13]

Feature Specification
Maximum Flight Time
Weight Load Capacity
Price Connection
$ Range
999
Dimensions 273 223 107 mm
Body Carbon Fiber
2
Material
Kg
Speed 15 m/s
2 Km
29 minutes
6.0 - Benefits of Emergency Medical Drones
6.1 - Efficiency
Integrating the drone system into the current medical structure will push
Qatar one step closer to fulfilling its 2030 vision where improving healthcare
is a main priority. Our goal is to provide a better alternative to the standard
healthcare solutions using drones.

Having a sleek body design, the drones are less restricted when
maneuvering compared to current transportation means because the drones
aerodynamics along with the quadrotors provide enough thrust power to lift
the payload without degrading the speed factor. This aspect comes in handy
when dealing with situations in which the patient is stuck in traffic or trapped
inside a building. The medical drone will be able to land and move on ground
thanks to the special wheels that will be attached to its base to prevent
unnecessary damage to the body and expand the range of motion to include
on and off ground movement. In other words, drones will not only save time,
but also may save more lives than common methods used.

6.2 Convenience
To make Doha a smart city, easy operating mechanisms along with
automated functionality are required to achieve that goal. Drone stations are
easy to operate and will immediately function accordingly. This is very crucial
because even though Doha has a relatively quick medical transportation
system, statistics from police departments show that it takes an ambulance
15 minutes to reach its destination through the fastest route possible [9]. As
Qatars population increases, the resulted traffic will cause more challenges
that will make the traditional medical system inefficient.

One of the drones main functions is autonomous piloting in which the drone
will make use of its built-in GPS system and navigation system to arrive to its
destination. A main control center will also track and provide the drones
coordinates with respect to other drones. Thus, the likelihood of errors is very
low when compared to human errors. When necessary, the drones will offer a
manual control option in which professional operators will take control if the
situation requires so.

For the convenience of the medical staff, the medical drone system is
operated by simple commands which will only direct the drone to the
required medical equipment and to the patients location. Our simple user
interface will reduce certain complications the hospital staff face might face.

Also, the drones will make use of its built-in camera and speakers to
communicate verbal commands to the patients making the process more
responsive. In case a doctor needs to ask questions or give out specific
procedures, the camera can start a live feed of the patient.

Furthermore, the complexity of the drone allows it to perform multiple tasks

at a time without disrupting its responsiveness. In the context of this project,
drones can act as surveillance drones that can recognize accidents and
traffic flow to provide such crucial information to the operations center to act
accordingly, making drones helpful in many scenarios.

6.3 - Accessibility
Synchronizing Hamads Medical Hospital (HMC) services with what drones
are capable of will result in smoother operation and faster feedback to reach
the patient.
Drone stations will be available in multiple locations to ensure a better, more
accessible service. The stations will be equipped with the essential medical
tools in a form of medical crates that are pre-assembled to aid common
incidents. The drones will have an integrated bar code system to identify and
pick up the prescribed crate to be delivered. Drone stations will also have
landing pads that will automatically start charging the drone once it lands on
it. Different drones will have different landing pads that will categorize the
drones with respect to the specific usage of that drone. This is because
drones that fly longer distances have a stronger battery pack which needs
different power supplies.

The drone station will be built to allow takeoff from a higher altitude. The
reason being is that the earths lowest atmosphere layer, known as the
troposphere, is home to most of the atmospheric changes which will result in
a poor performance and an increase in software/hardware errors. For
instance, taking off from a higher altitude in case of a foggy weather will
ensure better vision from the drones built-in cameras. Furthermore, drone
stations will be located in accident-heavy areas which will provide medical
services in an agile manner leaving no patients left behind around the clock.

On the long run, drone stations, will enhance the medical aid system as not
all hospitals can dispatch ambulances. A network system of drone stations
will cover most of the areas within and Doha, making accessible to most of
the population.

In addition, with drone stations being built next to hospitals, we will be able
to cover most of the common injuries as any required medication can be
escorted by hospital personnel to the drone station. Thus, many lives will be
saved whether the scenario is an injury or a required dose of medication
making the system a bit more flexible and adaptive.
7.0 Data Collection
The final factor that was crucial for the success of the Q-Drones initiative in
the state of Qatar was the attitudes of the public towards such an innovation.
Several kinds of data had to be collected and analyzed to determine the
expediency and feasibility of drone usage for such purpose. The analysis of
the data obtained, led to the current changes from our initial prototype.

One major software change we implemented to our new model was the
integration of enhanced algorithms to improve the drones navigation system
and maneuvering. Since most people did not oppose having a drone fly next
to their house, the previously restricted drone system was now programmed
to freely enter residential areas if the time difference computed was
significant. Moreover, the lack of knowledge of medical drones present in this
region inspired us to take steps to educate the public about its uses. We can
show off how our drones work in public places such as in shopping malls by
making our drones fly between two points and delivering a certain package.
This would hopefully show the community what our drones could do and it
would give us a chance to interact with potential users and hear their
thoughts about the project to further improve our product.

7.1 - Survey
Surveys were chosen as the tool for data collection and analysis due to the
nature of information that we needed to enhance our prototype and reflect
upon any potential hardships that our product might face in the market and
by the public. Since the technical data we needed was already obtained and
used by our various developers, our need of information was not that of
technical data. Instead, measurements of the communitys acceptance of
drone usage and their openness to employ such a service was an issue that
needed to be addressed. Surveys, then, were the tool of maximum efficiency
in getting direct responses from a sample representative of local population
of Qatar. By choosing the questions that were most relevant to our concerns,
we could better secure a successful start in providing a convenient medical
service.

7.2 - Question Selection

Writing the survey was a task that needed to be done effectively to obtain
results where the sample closely represented the general public. Question
choice was under critical review several times to produce minimal errors and
bias while collecting the data. In writing the survey, two major and common
survey errors were tackled and reduced. The first was the possibility of
creating a biased survey. The most critical kind of bias that our team feared
to be present in our survey is the social desirability bias. This bias occurs
when the participants are more prone to answering the survey in a manner
that is socially acceptable. To counter such bias, we voluntarily tried to
construct the survey to be as academic as possible. Since this survey was
meant to be sent to the entire undergraduate pool of students at Texas A&M
University at Qatar, no emotional or moral rhetoric was used to encourage
students to give honest opinions and conclusions, reminding them of their
very own value of integrity. Questions that required little to no background
technical knowledge of drones were written, such as that of Have you ever
contacted emergency services in Qatar? These kinds of questions left little
room for bias and hence reduced error in data collection.

The second type of bias that was of technical importance was the use of
loaded questions. Since our service was mainly aimed to serve a
humanitarian service, it was easy for the survey participants to be swayed
using emotionally intensive language. Words such as life, survival, and
responsibility were voluntarily avoided to not establish any emotional
connection between the participant and his responsibility to enhancing
medical services. For example, this sort of question

Would you stop a drone from a saving a life if it had to fly over your
house?
was replaced by the more objective question
Would you mind having a drone fly over your house for emergency
purposes?

The second question neither exaggerates nor hides any critical information
from the participant. Rather, it poses a question of his acceptance of the use
of drones given the correct context. Every question was evaluated for bias
and then enhanced throughout this process to present a survey with minimal
error. All the questions that were asked can be found in the Appendix.

7.3 - Survey Results

The following statistics used in this study was exported from
www.surveymonkey.com as a form of pie charts after the survey was
electronically distributed amongst Texas A&M University at Qatar. The total
number of recorded responses was from 57 individuals.

What is your gender?

Male (%61.29) Female (%38.71)

Figure 1: 57 responds recorded

The survey conducted was sent to the student pool at Texas A&M University
at Qatar which consists of a population where males outnumber females. The
results above agree with the realistic ratio of males to females enrolled as
students.
 What is your age?

18-24 (%86.69) 25-34 (%6.56)

75 or older (%6.56)

Figure 2: 57 responds recorded

Due to the nature of an undergraduate school with most of the student being
high school graduates, the age range from 18 to 24 years old dominates as it
is the norm for students to enter TAMUQ university during that period of their
lives.

Have you seen an ambulance stuck in traffic?

Yes (%72.88) No (%27.12)

Figure 3: 57 responds recorded

The pie chart shows that more than 70% of the students who took the survey
have witnessed a medical ambulance slowed by traffic. The case of
ambulances stuck in traffic is not only common in Qatar as many countries
suffer from the same phenomena. A respondent on [14] Times of India has
told his experience as three lives were lost due to the ambulance arriving 50
minutes later to the scene.
Have you ever contacted Emergency Services in Qatar? If yes, how long did it take to arrive?

<10 mins (%28.57) <15 mins (%39.29)

Yes (%45.76) No (%54.24) >15 mins (%32.14)

Figure 4: 57 responds recorded Figure 5: 57 responds

recorded

The results show almost half of the students having an experience with the
current medical transportation system with some cases of the ambulance
arriving after 15 minutes since the initial phone call. These results show a
disappointing contradiction with the statistics posting on the official Hamad
Medical Hospital website which state that ambulances always arrive to the
patient under 15 minutes.

Do you carry a first aid kit with you?

Yes (%15.52) No (%84.48)

Figure 6: 57 responds recorded

One might look at the above chart and say that the results are expected to
be the way they are; however, the intention of the team was not to prove the
obvious, rather show that people are vulnerable to countless hazards and
potential risks without having proper medical equipment to aid them in case
an injury occurs. The chart shows that more than 80% of the students dont
carry the most basic medical aid tools around with them, thus not having a
quick access to such equipment.

Have you ever heard of Medical Drones?

Yes (%32.20) No (%67.80)

Figure 7: 57 responds recorded

The drone industry has been exponentially growing in the US during the past
couple of years but the question is, how familiar are people living in Qatar
are with medical drones? The survey results show a significant percentage of
students who are not aware of Medical Drones. This concludes that our team
will be introducing an innovation to Qatar.

Would you mind having a drone flying over your house if it was used for emergency purposes?

Yes (%28.81) No (%71.19)

Figure 8: 57 responds recorded

One of the main issues that face us as a team is the privacy complications
with the common public and their reaction to the product. Since our purpose
is clear and is strictly limited to emergency cases, we had a high expectation
of people cooperating and supporting the service. In fact, the survey shows
an astonishing 70% plus positive feedback on this matter and in return
eliminated this constraint which the team initially had.

For mild cases, would you prefer to completely replace ambulances for drones if proven efficient?

Yes (%64.41) No! (%35.59)

Figure 9: 57 responds recorded

The final question of the survey is our teams way of measuring the publics
pulse regarding this sensitive topic to understand whether the extensive use
of Medical Drone is a bad idea in the eyes of the potential public users. The
results aligned with the hoped-for team vision with 63% of the people
agreeing on using Medical Drones as a complete alternative to the current
van based medical services around Doha. To gain a greater rate of
acceptance of medical drones, our company is currently thinking of ways to
further educate the public regarding the benefits and conveniences of
medical drones. We aim to visit places of education, malls and parks to
provide the public with a firsthand experience with our drones.

8.0 - Future Development Opportunities

A ground-breaking project like medical drones could help improve medical
services in countries where healthcare is limited. For example, medical
drones could be used to help deliver aid in war torn countries like Syria
where it is extremely risky to send out a physical ambulance. Also, medical
drones could be used to deliver vaccines and medication in countries such as
Somalia and Uganda where individuals live in areas that make it hard for an
ambulance to arrive due to poor landscapes.

Health and hospitalization are becoming increasingly vital concerns,

especially in third world countries where they dont have the privileges of
having advanced medical centers. Due to various existing problems in the
hospitalization methods that are present, the EMSs1 need for new
technological aids is growing larger every day. Drones have proven to offer
fast and reliable transportation methodology for mild medical needs or
urgent calls where contemporary methods are deemed inefficient. A network
of many unique autonomous medical drones will bring those countries a step
closer towards better healthcare services. This network will not only save
those countries many unnecessary costs, but also help save a life when one
second can be the deciding factor.

9.0 References
[1:3] Qatar Scoop Staff. 80 People Killed Fatal Road Accidents in Qatar.
[Aug 16, 2016]
Internet:http://www.qatarscoop.com/news/80-people-killed-fatal-road-
accidents-in-qatar-473-accidents-in-madinat-khalifa-303-road-crashes-in-al-
maamoura/ [Accessed: Feb 12, 2017]
1 Emergency Medical Services
[2:3] CW Staff. Construction accidents on the rise in Qatar. [Feb 11, 2013]
Internet:http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-20865-construction-
accidents-on-the-rise-in-qatar/#.UYea_LVTDms [Accessed: Feb 12, 2017]

[3:3] Amnesty International. Qatar: Migrant workers still at risk of abuse

despite reforms. [Dec 12 2016]
Internet:https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-
africa/qatar/report-qatar/ [Accessed: Feb 12, 2017]

[4:4] J. A. Tamimi, "Ambulance service: Every second counts in saving a life.

[2011]
Available: http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/emergencies/ambulance-service-
every-second-counts-in-saving-a-life-1.765059. [Accessed: Feb 12, 2017]

[5:4] American College of Emergency Physicians and National Association of

EMS Physicians, Guidelines for Air Medical Dispatch. [2007]
Available:
https://www.acep.org/uploadedFiles/ACEP/Practice_Resources/issues_by_cate
gory/Emergency_Medical_Services/GuidelinesForAirMedDisp.pdf. [Accessed:
Feb. 28, 2017]

[6:4] K. Aug, "911 non-emergencies a growing problem nationwide."[2009].

Available: http://www.denverpost.com/2009/12/28/911-non-emergencies-a-
growing-problem-nationwide/ [Accessed: Feb 12, 2017]

[7:4] F. Saleem, "HMC introduces special ambulances," The Peninsula Qatar,

2016. [Online]. Available:
https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/15/11/2016/HMC-introduces-
special-ambulances. [Accessed: Feb. 28, 2017]

[8:4] Doha News. Only 10% of 999 Calls in Qatar for Real Emergencies [Oct
19 2014]
https://dohanews.co/moi-official-10-pc-999-calls-real-emergencies/
[Accessed: Feb 12, 2017]

[9:9] Hamad Medical Cooperation. Emergency Department. [n.d.]

Website: https://www.hamad.qa/EN/Patient-Information/Emergency-
Departments/Pages/default.aspx [Accessed: Feb 12, 2017]

[10:10] Compare Drones, Compare Drones - Search, Find, and Compare

Drone Specs. [Online]. Internet: http://drones.specout.com/. [Accessed: 28-
Feb-2017].

[11:11] Graphiq. Allied Drones HL48 "Chaos" [n.d.]

Internet: http://drones.specout.com/l/140/Allied-Drones-HL48-Chaos.
[Accessed: 12-Feb-2017]

[12:11] Graphiq. DJI Matrice 600 Pro (M600 Pro). [n.d.]

Internet: http://drones.specout.com/l/1125/DJI-Matrice-600-Pro-M600-Pro.
[Accessed: Feb 12, 2017]

[13:12] Graphiq. Flytrex Sky. [n.d.]

Internet: http://drones.specout.com/l/327/Flytrex-Sky. [Accessed: Feb 12,
2017]

[14: 18] Times of India. We waited for an hour for help to arrive. [April 10,
2009].
Internet:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/We-waited-for-an-hour-
for-help-to-arrive/articleshow/4382238.cms [Accessed: April 27, 2017]
10.0 Appendix
Appendix A: Survey Questions extracted from surveymonkey.com:

1. What is your gender?

2. What is your age?
3. Have you seen an ambulance stuck in traffic?
4. Have you ever contacted emergency services in Qatar?
5. If yes, how long did it take to arrive?
6. Do you carry a first aid kit with you?
7. Have you ever heard of medical drones?
8. Would you mind a drone flying over your house if it was used for
emergency purposes?
9. For mild cases, would you prefer to completely replace ambulances for
drones if proven efficient?