The Västra Götaland Region is expanding emergency healthcare coverage in Borås through the use of medical drones supplied by Gothenburg-based healthtech company Everdrone. The drone service is designed to respond to emergency calls involving suspected out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by delivering automated external defibrillators before an ambulance arrives. The new drone base, located at the service office in Pantängen, is expected to become operational in early May.
Everdrone said the Borås base has been positioned based on analysis of population density, previous emergency incidents and airspace availability. The base is expected to reach about 63,000 residents, increasing the total coverage of Everdrone’s system in the Västra Götaland Region to around 300,000 residents.
“In cases of cardiac arrest, immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation and access to a defibrillator are critical for survival – every minute counts. While waiting for an ambulance, Everdrone’s new drone can arrive in under three minutes carrying a defibrillator,” said Magnus Hallberg von Geijer, chief operating officer at Everdrone.
The Borås site will be the fourth base to use Everdrone’s new-generation E3 drone. According to the company, the E3 flies faster and farther than its predecessor and is designed to operate in Nordic weather conditions, including cold, snow, rain and wind. The project is led by the Västra Götaland Region in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet and Everdrone.
