The Social Health Authority has started training preparations for Kenya's new Ambulance Evacuation Programme to improve emergency medical response.
The Social Health Authority issued a public notice on July 14 inviting healthcare providers to training sessions. The sessions will cover dispatch coordination through the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre, operational standards, claims procedures and provider responsibilities.
President William Ruto announced in June that the dispatch centre would launch by the end of July. It is planned as the second nationally coordinated ambulance system in Africa and will integrate with the Digital Health Agency.
Current challenges include nearly one-third of county ambulances being non-operational. Response times often reach one to two hours, far above the international standard of 15 to 20 minutes.
The programme aims to create a coordinated referral system with uniform standards and reimbursement mechanisms for emergency transport services.