The Social Health Authority (SHA) is planning to introduce air ambulance emergency service for civil servants, police officers, and their families.
This was revealed through a tender advertisement published on Tuesday, indicating that the SHA is seeking a firm to offer the service under a deal that will span a period of three years.
The air ambulance service will be offered to members of the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund. This includes employees at the national and county governments, the National Youth Service employees, among other public service employees. Additionally, the service will be offered to the declared spouses and six dependent children.
According to the tender published on Tuesday, the air ambulance service will be utilized to evacuate patients from remote areas, border points, and hardship zones where patients will not be able to access advanced medical care.
“Framework Agreement for the provision of Emergency Air Evacuation Services for the Beneficiaries of the Public Offices Medical Scheme Fund for a period of three years,” the notice said.
In other words, the air ambulance service will be utilized to evacuate a sick employee or a member of the employee’s family from a remote area where they fell seriously sick.
Air ambulances are not normal aircraft. They are equipped with medical gear that is comparable to what is used in an ICU. This includes ventilators, oxygen, heart monitors, and other life-saving equipment. These aircraft will be staffed by trained doctors, nurses, and paramedics who are capable of responding to emergencies while airborne.
The aircraft used are usually of two types. For shorter distances, a helicopter is used, while a jet or a turboprop plane is used for longer distances, such as cross-border flights.
Nairobi has in recent years emerged as a major hub for air evacuations in the region, with some service providers offering their services across East Africa.
The cost of the program and whether there will be additional costs have not been revealed by SHA. Nevertheless, this is a move towards a new direction of enhancing emergency medical response for thousands of government workers who serve in different parts of the country, including high-risk and hard-to-reach areas.
Interested firms have until March 10 to express their interest, and if all goes as planned, the service is likely to be operational in the new financial year starting July.
