The Nairobi Metropolitan Services- NMS has rolled out new policies and measures in a bid to bolster emergency response effectiveness in the city.
NMS Director of Health Services Dr. Ouma Oluga on Tuesday, August 2, announced two new policies designed to regulate emergency response in the city.
The first policy is anchored on the establishment of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that will guide the actions of ambulance drivers and emergency medical providers.
NMS' second policy encompasses regulations centered around the transfer of patients during emergencies.
"These policies will regulate the movement of patients from one hospital to another and the movement of patients from home or emergency scenes to the facilities,” Oluga stated.
Toll-Free Number
The NMS established a call centre in conjunction with a mobile service provider that will enable residents to call its emergency response providers without constraints.
City residents can now access health providers through the toll-free number 1508.
Upon contacting the call center, the agents will evaluate the gravity of the emergency, locate the scene and link the caller to ambulances near the area.
“If you call that number, you will directly contact the emergency operation center. They will listen to your case and determine whether it is an advanced or a basic case. They will also know the location and the available ambulances.”
Oluga further noted that NMS divided Nairobi into five regions to ease the coordination of emergency responses. The five regions were further subdivided into 12 units, each being accessed by an ambulance.
Emergency responses will be reduced to five minutes under the new measures and providers will strive to prevent confusion on the part of victims and residents seeking help.
