The government has announced that Kenyans will enjoy free emergency services provided by the Social Health Authority (SHA).
In an announcement by SHA Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Mwangangi, the free services will be available to Kenyans with or without SHA registration.
Under the new provision, SHA will cover up to Ksh4,500 for evacuation within 25 kilometers and pay for the first 24 hours of emergency services for all citizens.
Further, Mwangangi disclosed that the Authority would also set up the National Ambulance Dispatch Centre to coordinate nationwide response.
According to Mwangangi, individuals will call a designated number, enabling the identification of their location for prompt ambulance dispatch.
The CEO clarified that upon expiry of the 24 hours, those with access to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) will have their expenses catered for by SHIF. For those without SHIF, they will be forced to pay out of pocket.
The move is expected to help reduce cases of maternal mortality, road crash deaths, and child mortality numbers.
Before SHA’s announcement, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) directed all ambulances and emergency care providers across the country to register with the council in a bid to enhance emergency healthcare services in the country.
In a public notice on Monday, September 9, the Council's Chief Executive Officer, David Kariuki, said that all emergency care personnel, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), ambulance operators, and other healthcare workers delivering pre-hospital care, were also required to register with the council.
Kariuki asserted that the registration of the ambulance services will be pivotal in ensuring that ambulance services work within regulated standards in the country, in addition to supporting the operationalisation of the emergency services component under the SHA Emergency, Critical Care, and Chronic Illness Fund.
The ambulance service providers and emergency care personnel were required to ensure that they submit their applications either by email to the council or physically at its offices. Application forms and detailed requirements were made available for download from the Council’s website.
"The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), pursuant to the Health Act, 2017 and the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act (Cap 253), hereby notifies all providers of ambulance services and emergency care personnel and technicians providing medical services in Kenya to register with the Council," KMPDC stated.
