Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has inspected the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre at the Social Health Authority (SHA) headquarters in Nairobi to assess its readiness ahead of its official launch later this month.
The facility, which is now more than 90 percent complete, is expected to play a key role in improving emergency medical services under the Taifa Care Model and the government’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.
Dubbed the SHA 112 Lifeline, the centre will provide a fully coordinated 24-hour emergency medical dispatch service through a single national response platform, enabling faster and more efficient emergency response across the country.
According to the Ministry of Health, 97 Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC)-accredited ambulances have already been empanelled into the system, while 186 ambulances have been registered, with additional providers expected to join as nationwide coverage expands.
The dispatch centre is equipped with advanced digital technology to support emergency call triage, ambulance dispatch, real-time incident management and seamless coordination with health facilities through the National Health Information Exchange.
To support operations, 40 dispatch personnel, including medical officers, doctors and customer care agents, have completed specialized training to ensure professional, patient-centred emergency response.
Once officially launched, the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre is expected to significantly improve emergency response times, strengthen coordination among ambulance providers and health facilities, and ensure that patients are quickly connected to the nearest appropriate health facilities for lifesaving care across Kenya.
