“People usually say, ‘think outside the box’. I say, ‘Think like there is no box’, says co-founder Rozeena Saleha, oblivious to her own genius.
From the Kashmir Valley, far from most developed medical infrastructure, belongs Ehtisam Zafar, who felt the need for a way through which immediate medical assistance could be provided to emergency patients. Following his mother’s need for such assistance, Ehtisam teamed up with Rozeena and founded Qumaq, a platform that provides on-demand aerial delivery (through drones) to any area in a time of crisis.
Rozeena, the Chief Operating Officer of Qumaq, explained the services’ significance, “At the time of the earthquake in 2005, numerous people died due to inaccessibility of medical assistance. Patients of diarrhea and high blood pressure, very preventable diseases, died because the medicine could not reach them.”
How the service works is that coordinates of the location of crisis are fed to the quadcopters (drones). With the drone carrying up to 3 kilograms of weight, the medicines are carried in a sealed box attached to the drone and it remains sealed till an authorized person can scan the QR code placed on the drone.
The drones usually travel in a 5 Km radius but, given the right infrastructure, it can travel up to 50 km as well. For medical purposes, drones are provided to any hospital that may require them and the nearest hospital at any location of crisis provides assistance to the patients by the operating the copter. Furthermore, the hospital staff are provided two weeks free training by Qumaq to ensure safe and efficient use of the technology.
“The idea is quite futuristic. People are very afraid of the change that it brings but we need to understand the purpose of everything,” Rozeena explains.
When asking Rozeena if she had any doubts about leaving her previous job for Qumaq, she said, “I had no doubts. At first I didn’t want to leave a stable job but Ehtisam and I both believed in finding solutions on humanitarian grounds.”
When speaking of the support Qumaq has received from the National Incubation Centre, Rozeena said, “Funding is secondary; you need to have motivation as your first priority.” She continued, “As an entrepreneur, you need to have a nourishing environment. It’s not just about a fancy building or lighting. You need someone to hold your hand and guide you through your journey.”
Qumaq has tapped the foreign market by getting customers in the UAE. It has been selected for the Jazz xlr8 (accelerate) program as well as the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. With a bright future ahead of them, we wish Qumaq the very best of luck.
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