The Social Health Authority (SHA) has started preparations for the rollout of Kenya’s National Ambulance Evacuation Programme, with healthcare providers across the country being invited for training ahead of its official launch.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday through the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre (NADEC), SHA called on hospitals and healthcare facilities that own, operate or work with ambulance services to take part in the training programme.
According to the Authority, the exercise is aimed at equipping providers with the operational requirements needed before the ambulance programme becomes fully operational.
The training will cover key areas including ambulance dispatch and coordination through NADEC, operational requirements for participating providers, clinical and service standards, claims submission and reimbursement procedures, documentation requirements, as well as the roles and responsibilities of healthcare facilities under the programme.
SHA said the training is open to public, private, faith-based, mission and other licensed healthcare facilities with ambulance services. Health facilities have also been asked to nominate officers involved in emergency medical services, ambulance operations and facility administration to attend the sessions.
National Dispatch Centre Set for Launch
The preparations come weeks after President William Ruto announced that Kenya would launch its first National Ambulance Dispatch Centre by the end of July, describing it as a major step towards improving emergency medical response across the country.
Speaking during the 95th St John Ambulance Annual Parade and Inspection in June, the President said the dispatch centre would be only the second nationally coordinated ambulance system in Africa.
He noted that the centre would be integrated into the country’s digital health infrastructure through the Digital Health Agency, allowing emergency teams to coordinate ambulance services in real time.
The system is expected to improve ambulance deployment, shorten response times and enhance communication between emergency responders and healthcare facilities.
Programme Aims to Improve Emergency Response
The new ambulance evacuation programme comes at a time when Kenya continues to face significant challenges in emergency medical services.
Recent audits by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed that nearly one in every three ambulances owned by county governments is not operational, leaving many patients waiting for hours before receiving emergency medical transport.
The audit also pointed to the lack of a coordinated national ambulance dispatch system, with many counties still relying on outdated communication methods. In some cases, counties operate without real-time ambulance tracking or toll-free emergency numbers, making it difficult to respond quickly during medical emergencies.
While global standards recommend ambulance response times of between 15 and 20 minutes, the audit found that patients in some parts of the country wait between one and two hours before an ambulance arrives.
The reports further highlighted gaps in emergency preparedness, including poorly equipped health facilities and weaknesses in emergency response systems.
SHA says the Ambulance Evacuation Programme is designed to address these challenges by creating a coordinated national referral system that links participating ambulance providers through the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre.
The Authority added that the programme will introduce uniform operational standards and a structured reimbursement framework for emergency transport services while improving coordination among ambulance providers across the country.
According to SHA, the ongoing training is a crucial step in ensuring healthcare providers are ready before the programme is officially rolled out, with the ultimate goal of delivering faster, better coordinated and quality ambulance evacuation services for Kenyans in need of emergency care.