The Social Health Authority (SHA) has started preparations to roll out the Ambulance Evacuation Programme, inviting healthcare providers across the country to take part in training.
In a notice issued through the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre (NADEC) on Tuesday, July 14, the SHA asked healthcare providers that own, operate, or work with ambulance services to attend the sessions. The authority said the training will familiarize participants with the operational requirements they will need before the program officially begins.
SHA added that the training will cover ambulance dispatch and coordination through NADEC, participation requirements, clinical and operational service standards, and claims submission and reimbursement procedures. It will also address documentation requirements and the roles of participating healthcare providers.
The program will focus on public, private, faith-based, mission, and other licensed healthcare facilities that run ambulance services. The SHA urged providers to nominate officers responsible for emergency medical services, ambulance operations, and facility administration.
This follows President William Ruto’s announcement in June that Kenya will launch its first National Ambulance Dispatch Centre by the end of July.
Ruto said the dispatch center would become only the second nationally coordinated ambulance system in Africa. He added that it will integrate emergency response into digital health infrastructure through the Digital Health Agency.
The President further stated that the centre will use real-time coordination technology to improve ambulance deployment, cut response times, and strengthen communication between emergency responders and health facilities.
The rollout also comes as Kenya’s emergency medical services continue to face persistent challenges. Recent performance audits by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu found that nearly a third of ambulances across counties are non-operational, forcing patients to wait for hours for urgent care.
The audits also highlighted the lack of a coordinated national ambulance dispatch system. Many counties, the reports said, still rely on outdated communication methods, do not use real-time ambulance tracking, and in some areas operate without toll-free emergency contact numbers.
While international standards recommend ambulance response times of between 15 and 20 minutes, the audits found that patients in parts of the country wait one to two hours before receiving emergency transport.
The findings further pointed to poorly equipped hospitals and systemic weaknesses in emergency preparedness, raising concerns about whether Kenya can consistently deliver timely, life-saving interventions.
Consequently, SHA said the Ambulance Evacuation Programme aims to create a coordinated emergency referral system. It will link participating ambulance providers through the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre and introduce uniform operational standards, along with structured reimbursement mechanisms for emergency transport services.
SHA added that the training is a critical step to ensure healthcare providers are ready before the programme becomes operational. The authority said the initiative will strengthen emergency medical services by improving timely, coordinated, and quality ambulance evacuation for all Kenyans.
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