The Ministry of Health has unveiled the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre, a new facility designed to coordinate emergency medical services across the country, ahead of its launch by President William Ruto on Wednesday, August 5.
In a statement after inspecting the facility at the Social Health Authority (SHA) Headquarters on Tuesday, August 4, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said it has been completed and is ready for commissioning.
"The facility is complete and fully prepared for commissioning, marking a major step in strengthening our emergency medical response under the Taifa Care programme,' he wrote.
Duale said the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre will operate through the SHA 922 Lifeline and serve as the country's central command hub for coordinating emergency medical services in all 47 counties.
"Operating under the SHA 922 Lifeline, the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre will serve as Kenya's central command hub for coordinating emergency medical services across all 47 counties," he added.
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According to Duale, the centre will provide a unified national platform offering 24-hour ambulance dispatch services, intelligent call management, clinical triage, real-time ambulance tracking and coordination with health facilities to improve emergency response and access to critical medical care.
"Through a single national platform, it will provide round-the-clock ambulance dispatch, intelligent call management, clinical triage, real-time ambulance tracking and seamless coordination with health facilities, ensuring faster response times and improved access to life-saving emergency care," he noted.
Duale further revealed that more than 200 ambulances accredited by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) have already been connected to the system, with additional ambulance service providers expected to join as nationwide coverage continues to expand.
"More than 200 Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC)-accredited ambulances have already been integrated into the system, with additional providers expected to join as nationwide coverage expands," he further said.
Duale added that the dispatch centre is staffed by 40 trained professionals drawn from different disciplines, including medical officers, doctors and customer service personnel, who will oversee emergency dispatch operations and support the centre's digital health systems.
"The Centre is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of 40 trained professionals, including medical officers, doctors and customer service personnel, equipped with the skills required to manage emergency dispatch operations and digital health systems," he explained.
Duale also noted that the facility was developed through a partnership involving the government, the Kenya Red Cross, ambulance service providers and Safaricom.
"Developed in collaboration with the Kenya Red Cross, ambulance service providers and Safaricom, the Centre reaffirms the Government's commitment to harnessing technology and innovation to build a responsive and integrated emergency care system that guarantees every Kenyan timely access to critical medical services," he concluded.
Elsewhere, Ruto has directed Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to allocate funds to pay SHA medical covers for all village elders.
Speaking earlier Tuesday, he directed Mbadi to allocate the funds during the supplementary budget in November, noting that village elders and their families should be under the SHA medical scheme by January 1, 2027.
"Mr. Mbadi, go and look for funds in the supplementary budget that we will prepare in November so that we pay SHA covers for all the village elders.
"Every village elder and their family should be enrolled under the Social Health Authority (SHA). By January 1, 2027, all of them must be covered by the SHA programme," he said.
Ruto also directed Mbadi to allocate additional funds to purchase smartphones for all village elders.
He mentioned that the phone will help the village elders to communicate effectively with National Government Administration Officers.
"Also increase the budget slightly so that we can buy every village elder a proper smartphone," he stated.
Additionally, Ruto announced that the village elders will receive a monthly stipend of Ksh3,000.
"From now on, every village elder will receive a monthly stipend of Ksh3,000," he announced.
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