UPDATE: Emergency Plus (E- Plus) Medical services has refuted claims regarding the accident of one of their ambulances in Kabarnet, Baringo County.
According to the management, no patient was on board at the time of the accident as well as the driver was not drunk as earlier reported.
In a statement issued by E-plus, the incident should be treated as an isolated unfortunate occurrence. In addition, their paramedics and ambulance operators are highly trained and exercise outmost professionalism and ethical standards in the line of duty.
"The said ambulance was en route to respond to an emergency call in Reale Hospital in Kabarnet Town when it unfortunately slipped into a ditch to avoid a head on collision with an oncoming vehicle along the Kaprorita road in Baringo County," said an excerpt of the statement.
The statement further told that the operator sustained minor injuries. He was treated at Reale Hospital and later discharged.
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An ambulance rushing patients to a hospital was involved in an accident in Ratanbei Kabarnet, Baringo County on Saturday, April 10.
It is alleged that the driver of the Red Cross ambulance was drunk resulting in the accident.
According to NTV, the ambulance which had patients on board was headed to Kabarnet Referral hospital before the ambulance lost control and rolled over.
The injured patients were rushed to the Referral hospital while the wrecked ambulance was towed to Kabarnet police station.
Cases of road accidents have been on the rise from 2019. Government Spokesman Cyrus Oguna, said the government was concerned over increasing road accidents in which 710 people perished between January and February 2021.
The number is higher than the casualties recorded over the same period last year where 562 people died.
“Comparing the numbers of road accident cases between January and February, 2020 and the same period in 2021, there is an increase of 148 cases,” Oguna said.
Among the dead were 230 pedestrians, 197 motorcyclists, 123 passengers, 79 drivers, 58 pillion passengers and 23 pedal cyclists.
Drunk driving, road rage, reckless driving, dangerous overtaking and failure to use helmets are some of the leading factors attributed to the increase in accidents.
Drunk driving is a serious offense that attracts a fine of not less than 100,000Ksh, a 2-year jail term or both.
Drivers found guilty of drunk driving have their insurance premiums increased because the insurer classify's such clients as risky.
According to the Traffic Act, the legal blood alcohol concentration limit for operating a vehicle is 0.35 grams per liter of breath or 0.8 grams per liter of blood.
