Medical drone delivery pioneered by mWell in Southeast Asia

February 8, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — mWell, the digital health care arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., is introducing medical drone delivery as part of its commitment to make health and wellness accessible to Filipinos.

The company has recently launched mWell OnTheGo Drone Delivery in Barangay Niogan, Pilila, Rizal, making history as the first medical drone delivery in Southeast Asia.

mWell said the service is designed to complement the telemedicine services provided to geographically isolated communities.

“Distance should never be a barrier to health care. Through drones, we’re bridging the distance between patients and life-saving medicines. This isn’t simply a matter of convenience, but of getting help to every Filipino that needs it,” mWell chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

mWell CEO and president Chaye Cabal-Revilla said the service is in line with the group’s efforts to find innovative ways to make health and wellness accessible, affordable and available to Filipinos anytime and anywhere.

“Drone technology enables us to provide medical supplies to indigenous peoples communities and remote areas nationwide. Through our partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, we will be able to serve more areas and enhance patience outcomes,” she said.

According to mWell, the decision to offer drone delivery services was a result of feedbacks it received that the prescribed medicines by doctors are sometimes unavailable in health centers after consultations.

“Since these patients are in remote areas, we thought about how to get the medicines to them. Our goal is to send medicines using drones. After an mWell teleconsultation, with just a click on their tablet, medicines can be delivered directly to remote areas via drone,” mWell business development head Tisha Quinitio said.